Overall in 2022, diesel continued to dominate the EU van market with 86% of total van registrations, although it lost some market share compared to 2021 (when it held 90.2%). By contrast, electrically-chargeable vans showed strong growth in 2022, nearly doubling their market share from 3% in 2021 to 5.3% in 2022.
Diesel and petrol vans
In 2022, diesel van sales contracted by 21.9% across the European Union1, to 1.1 million units, as the overall decline of the van market mainly impacted diesel-powered vehicles. The four largest EU markets all suffered double-digit losses: France (-23.5%), Spain (-23.5%), Italy (-19.4%) and Germany (-17.0%).
On the other hand, the number of petrol vans registered increased to 64,585 units last year, which represents a growth of 9.2%. As a result, petrol gained market share, accounting for 5% of the total market (an increase of 1.3 percentage points from 2021). Out of the four key EU markets, only Germany showed a decline in petrol vans (-4.8%), while the other three markets all contributed positively to the region’s performance. Italy and Spain saw the strongest growth with double-digit increases (+57.1% and +25% respectively), while France followed with a more modest gain (6.0%).
Alternatively-powered vehicles (APV)
Last year, registrations of electrically-chargeable vans in the EU increased by 42.5%, resulting in a market share expansion (from 3.0% to 5.3% of total sales). All the major markets in the region posted double-digit gains, with Spain leading the way (+57.3%), followed by Germany (+41.3%), France (+33%) and Italy (+20.5%).
Hybrid electric vans also saw growth in 2022, with registrations up 23.9%, accounting for 2.5% of the EU van market (up from 1.7% in 2021). Italy – the largest EU market for hybrid vans, accounting for 54% of total registrations – saw the highest growth rate (+43.0%). France (+13.3%) and Germany (+3.1%) also recorded gains, although more modest, while Spain posted a slight decline (-0.8%).
Sales of vans running on alternative fuels2 fell by 28.7%, counting 15,221 units, and making up only 1.2% of total light commercial vehicle registrations. France was the only key EU market to see an increase in alternative fuel van sales (+2.1%), while Spain experienced a significant decline (-84.4%).
(ACEA)
