UK Truck Registrations : 2024

Truck registrations in the UK have been going well and 2024 was also a good year, despite a 3% dip in the total. There aren't many brands involved - ten in all - with most being European. 

The leader is DAF Trucks (picture above) which is how the SMMT names it but I've gone with its UK name, Leyland DAF. The vehicles are sourced from the UK plant in Leyland, Lancashire, and from Europe. It's the third consecutive year market share has fallen, albeit only slightly on each occasion. It has maintained five digit sales volume every year since 2014.

Then comes some heavy hitters from Europe before the first of two Japanese brands in the form of Isuzu and Fuso, the latter owned by Mercedes-Benz. In between them is Dennis Eagle (pic below), a UK based maker of waste management trucks. The 956 registrations was the best result since 2013 and the second best this century. 

Data source: SMMT.

UK Bus Registrations : 2024

By the term bus, it surely includes vans with seats with the vans over a certain size. Hence, we see Ford and Peugeot leading the way in 2024. I'm interested in the full sized bus but that is how the data is supplied. 

Registrations were up an impressive 70% but still only the best year since 2016. The 'Diff' figure below is for market share change so any brand in yellow would have increased volume but not kept up with the surging market. Overall, the best result since 2017 when nearly 8,800 were registered. I'm not sure why there was a dramatic fall after that. At least it's returning to better numbers.  

Of the local companies, Alexander Dennis (picture above) managed an increase in share and the highest sales figure since 2019. Northern Ireland based Wrightbus (picture below)- which are leaders in hydrogen buses - reached 850 units registered, 2017 the last time that figure was bettered. BYD are not a UK brand but the bodies on their buses may be provided by Alexander Dennis.

For imports, diesel buses have a 16% duty and electric 10%. The latter seems too low to protect local manufacturing and imports from China could prove disrupters for local manufacturers. That probably needs a review to provide some help to protect domestic electric bus manufacturing - which use Chinese made chassis' anyway - but unlikely to happen. The 2025 figures may have some different brand names included, assuming they will be reported. 

Data source: SMMT.

Iceland Pick Up Sales 2020-24

The Icelandic market isn't big but it has a rural ruggedness and at times harsh conditions. Ideal for vehicles best suited to that and pick ups would without doubt be included among them. 

Nearly 700 were sold in 2017 but since then the numbers have been regressing. I'm not sure of the reason but there were still 305 sold during 2024. The Toyota Hilux made up two thirds of the total. Some of the units sold are of the large kind, the RAM 3500 has been very popular for example. 

How sales go in 2025 will be interesting. 

Picture source: Isband (link click here). Data source: Samgongustofa.

Kia Korea Model Production : 2024

Kia made 1.46 million cars in Korea last year. That was down 3% on 2023. The top three all improved but most of the rest didn't. The Tasman pickup and EV4 will add their presence to the lineup so they should give things an uplift. 

I believe the K3/Cerato may be on the way out as to the Mohave due to slow sales and to make way for the new models on the production line. 

Data source: Kia.

Kia also made some commercial vehicles and the absence of any import competition due to tariff protection probably makes it viable despite modest numbers.

Kia Plant Sales By Nation : 2024

Kia made 3 million passenger cars and SUVs in 2024. It manufactures in six countries with close to half made at home. If the CKD kits* are also originating from Korea (and I assume they do), then just over half. The rest is fairly evenly spread between plants. 250,000 to 350,000 covers all of them. 

China was the first overseas production facility back in 2002 but in recent years the volume has dropped substantially as is the case with other manufacturers. In the last two years production in China has made improved. 

The USA (since 2010) and Slovakia (2006) are both around 350,000 cars per annum. India (2019) was down this year and Mexico (2016) was steady. The latter has started making a model for Hyundai but is not counted here. 

*The 'CKD' I believe are cars made from knocked down kits but due to the content being split between facilities, not attributed to either. The model(s) involved are not given either. That's how I've read the data provided but it doesn't clearly specify if that is so.

Data source: Kia.

Portugal Top 50 Models : 2024

 

I just noticed I didn't publish this data so belatedly here it is. Dacia just managed to take the top spot with its Sandero model. It also is the top model in Europe. 

Peugeot is the best selling brand in Portugal so is well represented at the top of the list. The 2008 is second, 208 fifth and the 308 seventh.

Tesla did well here for the year with the Model 3 third and Model Y sixteenth. The Nissan Juke's sales were 138% and that took the model up to tenth. 

In case you're wondering what the Hyundai Kauai is, it's the Kona model that was renamed to avoid causing any offence. 

European Nation Electric Car Sales : 2024

ACEA put out data on how electric car (BEV) sales are progressing in European countries. The continent wants to end fossil fuel sales by 2035. We have entered 2025 so that isn't that far away. How are member nations doing in this regard?

The size of the market has to be factored in when looking at the list below. Germany has been the leader numerically as it is the largest car market. It took over from Norway in 2019 but has now been passed by the UK in 2024, albeit by a tiny margin. 

Government subsidies ended in Germany in 2023 and that is the reason for the 27% drop which goes to show that BEVs aren't that popular when they have to meet the market without government sweeteners.

The UK has become the leading BEV market in 2024, reaching just under 20% of total sales. In Germany it was just 13.5% and Italy 5.5%. In contrast, for Norway it was 89%, Denmark reached 51.5% and the Netherlands 35%.

All this data excluded hybrid cars. As far as I know, the EU hasn't set a date to end their sale although the UK has 2035 as a target date. Of course, dates and targets are flexible.

Data ACEA. Picture VW.

Toyota Global Sales : 2022-24

Toyota's global sales were down slightly, 1.4% to be precise. The two reasons for the reduction are China and Japan. The former has been the case for foreign makes as they are out under pressure from local manufacturers. The second was self inflicted. Otherwise, the total was in positive territory. 

Asia went from 48.7% to 45.8% of sales which is a large fall. North America is up to 26.9% of total global sales for the Toyota Group with the USA contributing 85% of that for the region. Europe is up to 11.5% with France now the largest market. 

What is the rest accounted for 11%, the Gulf States (GCC) made up 40.5% of that total. Finally Latin America at 4.8%, with Brazil and Argentina being the two main countries. 

Data & picture source: Toyota Group.

Europe Top 10 Models : 2024

The Top 10 model list had two changes from 2023. Out went the Opel / Vauxhall Corsa and Fiat 500. In came the Škoda Octavia amd Dacia Duster.

VW had three models and Dacia two on the list. It's good to see a budget brand doing well as they offer value for money and good quality. 

The 268,000 for first place sales was the highest since 2020. The tenth place was the best for that position since 2020. 

For the 29 years I've been tracing the Top 10 in Europe, the only ever present model has been the VW Golf and it has not finished below seventh. The Renault Clio and Opel / Vauxhall Corsa have made the list for 27 years each but the latter missed out in '24. 

VW has had the most models with 68, Opel /Vauxhall 49, Renault 44 and Ford 41. I doubt Ford will make the list again as it was last on it in 2020 and its focus (no pun intended) is more on light commercials. 

Tunisia Passenger Car Sales : 2024

Registrations were down 1% for the year which is a reasonably good performance. The top four all lost ground although Hyundai's was marginal. Hyundai took the lead off Kia three years ago and has retained its place at the top since then. MG and Chery pushed hard and were rewarded.

Renault doubled its sales but Peugeot was down 29%. Citroën all but disappeared in 2020 and fell from 12th to 42nd but suddenly reemerged this year and in 2024 finished up at 14th.  

UK Vehicle Production : 2024

While some Asian countries have a robust vehicle manufacturing industry, they remain 'protected' with stiff import duties. The UK has a weak car industry but any thought of protection that would see it grow and prosper is unthinkable. 

Passenger car production in the UK fell 27% in December and 14% for the year. I predicted in March that "one could expect that 2024 will not  equal the year before". I didn't expect it to fall that much.  

Commercial vehicle volume was -17% in December  but still up 4% for the year. Production for the home market has taken a battering, -28% in March and -13% YTD. Exports were -13% In March but up an impressive 58% YTD.

Put it all together and December was down 26% and -12% for the completed year. The numbers aren't flash but considering the apathy within the UK for its motor vehicle industry hardly surprising.  

With two manufacturers providing sales figures each month, they are listed here. Nissan accounted for 31% of the total and Toyota 11%. I appreciate their openness. 

Data source: SMMT, manufacturers.

Toyota Global Production : 2022-24

Global production was down just over 500,000 in 2024 or 5%. Japan down half of that and the rest of the world the other half. A scandal at home had much to do with the Japan figure. As for elsewhere, China was down 244,500 units South Africa (RSA) down 44,000 units as their economy weakens. That in itself covers all the decrease and a bit more so the rest was overall up slightly. Toyota always finds a way and this will be no more than a blip on the radar. 

Asia made 64.7% of all Toyota's, North America 21.5%, Europe 8.7%, Latin America 3.9% and Africa 1.2%. Japan accounted for 50.8% of Asian assembly and China 24.5%. Cambodia has joined the Toyota family of assemblers. 

The USA makes 62% of North American Toyotas and Europe has four countries with plants after its Russian exit. Brazil and Argentina are both very active but Africa relies on South Africa and as stated already that country isn't doing well economically. 

Data & picture source: Toyota Group.