ROME (ITALPRESS) – In February, the industrial vehicle market broke a four-month negative trend, registering a slight growth of 1.8 percent. Registrations of vehicles over 3.5 tons reached 2,285, up from 2,245 in the same month of 2024. Analyzing in detail, the light vehicle segment (3.51-6 t) marks a year-on-year increase of 6.3 percent, while medium-light vehicles (6.01-15.99 t) record a 2.9 percent decline. Heavy vehicles above 16 t (+2.2 percent) also remained on positive ground, with 1,911 units registered.
Of these, wagons increased 18 percent over February 2024 to 833, while road tractors contracted 7.3 percent, stopping at 1,078 units. “Although the market shows slight growth in February, it is crucial not to interpret this as a sign of structural recovery. Proof of this is the contraction of the road tractor segment, which closes the month with a 7.3 percent decline, bringing the annual balance to -12.9 percent.
“This type of vehicle, closely linked to industrial production trends, is a key indicator of the health of the Italian manufacturing and trucking sector,” says Paolo A. Starace, president of UNRAE’s Industrial Vehicles Section.
“The critical national issues are part of an increasingly complex geopolitical scenario, in which Europe, squeezed between the Asian and North American blocs, is called upon to strengthen its economic and industrial autonomy. This situation highlights the vulnerabilities of our production system, which is particularly exposed to the strategies adopted by major world powers,” Starace continued.
“In this context, the measures announced last week by the European Commission with the Action Plan for the automotive sector, while introducing positive elements-such as the extension of the exemption from tolls for zero-emission industrial vehicles provided for in the Eurovignette Directive-are late and insufficient in scope for a sector that appears to be in the background of the EU executive’s priorities,” Starace adds.
“In our opinion,” President Starace concludes, “it would be appropriate to also provide heavy transport with flexibility similar to that reserved for light vehicles in terms of emission targets. In addition, larger investments to develop the necessary recharging infrastructure, coupled with dedicated resources to incentivize the adoption of ultra-low or zero-emission vehicles, are essential.”
– Photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
