TRUCK SALES * Spain: April CV sales improve 31.5%

Madrid,Spain -AutomotiveWorld, by David Isaiah -May 19, 2011: -- The year-on-year rate of increase in registrations in Spain's commercial vehicles market slowed to 31.5% in April 2011, following a 48.8% rise reported in March this year. A total of 1,471 vehicles were registered in this segment last month, the Spanish automotive industry association (Anfac) said... With last month's increase, the total number of CVs registered in Spain in the first four months of this year rose to 6,588 units, 44.5% higher than what the industry had managed in the corresponding four-month period in 2010... The truck segment last month accounted for registrations of 1,185 units, up 28.9% from a year ago. This improvement was due to the heavy truck segment, comprising vehicles over 16 tonnes. Here registrations rose from 635 units in April 2010 to 923 last month, an increase of 45.4%... The other truck sub-segments posted declining numbers in April...  (Image from fondoscopados: Freightliner trucks)

TRUCK SALES * UK - LCV and HGV sales rise in March

London,UK -Transport Engineer -11 April 2011: -- Van sales increased by 27% in March and by 31% overall for the first quarter of the year, compared with last year's figures... Reports also suggest that heavy truck sales were up 11.2% in March, and up 29.2% year on-year... Further investigation reveals that purchases were focused on large 3.5-tonne vans as well as three-axle articulated tractors. Medium-weight rigid trucks, however, remained at similar levels of sales to last year...

TRUCK SALES * Europe - ACEA: Recovery continues in December

New commercial vehicle sales rose 12.5 percent in December in the European Union...

Paris,France -Reuters, by Helen Massy-Beresford -Jan 26, 2011: ...   ACEA said on Wednesday, as the recovery continued and the sector finished 2010 on a positive note...  Highly cyclical demand for heavy trucks has powered ahead in the last few months, as the industry recovers after the worst downturn in decades...  Strong growth in emerging markets like Asia and South America has helped truckmakers that were hit hard by the crisis...  Demand has also picked up in Europe, although there are concerns that eurozone economic woes could destabilise the recovery...  For the year 2010 as a whole, commercial vehicle sales rose 8 percent, ACEA said...  In December, sales of new vans, or light commercial vehicles, rose 8.4 percent...  Sales of heavy trucks over 16 tonnes rose 70.2 percent in December, from a very low base the same month in 2009. Over the year, sales rose 8.4 percent from 2009, the association said...  Sales of trucks over 3.5 tonnes rose 47.8 percent in December and 6.4 percent in 2010...  Bus and coach sales, the only segment showing a decline, were down 1.4 percent in December in the region...

* USA - Harbor City truck maker announces deal to export green drive systems to China

Los Angeles,CAL,USA -The Los Angeles Times, by Stephen Ceasar -January 25, 2011: -- A Los Angeles County heavy-duty truck, tractor and electrical systems maker announced a deal Tuesday to export $15.9 million worth of electric vehicle drive systems to China to power buses...  Balqon Corp., based in Harbor City near Long Beach, said it expected to hire 150 workers over the next 18 months to build 300 electric vehicle drive systems to power buses that can carry 15 to 40 passengers each...  The drive systems are being purchased by Winston Global Energy, a Shenzhen, China, company owned by Chinese entrepreneur Winston Chung, who is also a major shareholder in Balqon, founded in 2005...

TRUCKS SALES * Europe - Affordable Windows choose DAF

Blackpool,UK -HGV UK -December 14, 2010: -- The leading trade manufacturer of UPVC windows in the North West has replaced the bulk of its delivery fleet with 16 DAF LF45s with factory-fitted boxvan bodies... Affordable Window Group, which also trades as 21st Century PVC, chose the DAFs following good experience with two it was already running... Operations Director, John McVey, felt that having both chassis and body produced in one place would lead to more consistency of finish as well as simplifying the ordering process and any after-sales support issues. This ‘one stop shop’ process also reduced leadtimes by around three weeks... The fact that the complete vehicles were built just a few miles away in Leyland and that the supplying dealer is Lancashire DAF were also factors in the decision...  (Photo from yiparts: DAF/LF45)

TRUCK SALES * Europe - Sales of light trucks continue to climb in Europe

Brussels,Belgium -Van & Business, by Stijn Phlix -26 Nov 2010: -- In October 2010, is 125,914 light commercial vehicles (under 3.5 tonnes) which nine were registered in Europe, according to ACEA, the European federation of car manufacturers. This is 7.4% more than in October 2009... Whether in France (+16%), Germany (+16.2%) and Great Britain (+22.3%), large markets are doing well. Italy and Spain by record against a decline of 6.1% for the first and 14.9% for the second... If we consider the first 10 months of the year, sales of light trucks have surpassed 1.2 million units, representing an increase of 8.5% over the same period last year...

* Belgium - 5 Renault Master for Dovy Keukens

Roeselare,Gent,East Flanders,Belgium -Van and Business, by Michael Buck -2 Dec 2010: -- Dovy Keukens society, specialist kitchens, located in Roeselare, celebrates its 30th anniversary by purchasing 5 new Renault Master 3.5T engine equipped 2.3 dCi 125 hp. They will be used to install kitchens at home. The concession Vansteeland of Izegem, who delivered the utilities, also responsible for adapting the load floor. Dovy Keukens handled the management of trucks. Note that this is the first 5 Renault Trucks to the fleet of 34 vans...

* Belgium - LeasePlan Shipping First electric vans to Center Parcs Erperheide

Erperheide,Peer,Belgium -Van and Business, by Stijn Phlix -26 Nov 2010:  --  LeasePlan presented at Center Parcs Erperheide (Peer) keys of eight electric vans. These will replace the diesel vehicles currently used by the maintenance department of the domain... LeasePlan will deliver eight electric utilities Goupil type G3L. The order includes seven trucks and a dump truck. This choice is part of the ecological philosophy of holiday park. Customers will be the primary beneficiaries: "Electric vehicles do not emit CO2 and is silent. The fauna and flora Erperheide will also benefit, "says Kwaspen, General Manager of Center Parcs Erperheide... (Image from leaseplan.be: Center Parcs)

* Belgium - TNT Express operates an electric vehicle in Brussels

Brussels,Belgium -Van and Business, by Michel Buckinx -8 Dec 2010: -- TNT Express operates since December 7 COMS an electric vehicle for the conveyance of parcels in the center of Brussels. A first in Europe. The use of this vehicle is part of a project initiated by TNT Express Benelux cooperation with the group De Louwman, importer of the vehicle. The COMS can use bike paths, carrying a payload of 100 kg and a maximum speed of 45 km / h. Obviously, it consumes no fuel and emits no CO2...

STATISTICS * USA - Upswing in Commercial Vehicle, Trailer Registrations

Polk found new commercial vehicle registrations up 9.6%

Detroit,MICH,USA -AutoRemarketing -December 2, 2010: -- Polk reports used commercial vehicle registrations hit record. Class 3-8 used vehicle registrations hit 524,500 units for 1st 9 months of 2010. That's up 18.7% over same period last year... All totaled, commercial vehicle registrations hit 794,200 units, up 15.5%... Polk says record numbers create aftermarket opportunities, especially Class 8... Polk analysts also report new trailer registrations up 42.2% to 76,125 units. These numbers include trailers 24 feet or longer. Market strongly influenced by dry and refrigerated van trailers... Information part of Polk Commercial Vehicle Market Intelligence Report, includes information on Canadian, global heavy commercial markets...

* DC - Freight Index Climbed 0.2 Percent in October

Washington,DC,USA -The Journal of Commerce Online, by Joseph Bonney -Dec 8, 2010: -- TSI rose for 13th time in 17 months but remained down for the year... The Transportation Department’s Freight Transportation Services Index climbed 0.2 percent in October from its September level, rising for the 13th time in 17 months... The Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles of freight moved in for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight. Trucking makes up the majority of the seasonally adjusted index... The October reading pushed the index 5.7 percent over its June 2009 low, which was 15.3 percent below the pre-recession level of August 2008. Through the first 10 months of 2010, however, the index declined 0.7 percent. The October Freight TSI is down 12.4 percent from its historic peak of 112.9 reached in May 2006...