The next IAA show in Hanover is already set to be a success. “We are expecting more than 700 exhibitors, and the IAA will take place in a context of positive economic developments for the heavy goods vehicles industry”, stated Matthias Wissmann, president of the VDA, the German automobile industry association which organises the event.

The positive developments are, it has to be admitted, more discernible at a global level than for Europe alone. Over the first half year, order taking for heavy trucks, often considered to be a precursor in terms of indicators, increased by 80 % compared to 2009 for the German manufacturers. This increase is unevenly divided between internal German demand (up 46%) and export (up 106%)… and has to be considered in the light of a market which plummeted disastrously between 2008 and 2009.

–more than 40%

Demand remains especially strong in , which now accounts on its own for more than 40% of worldwide registrations, and in and South America. These markets can no longer accurately be referred to as emerging, and should lead to heavy truck production returning to its pre-crisis level in 2011.

Europe – making progress sin 2011

The situation of the European markets is not yet as rosy. In the over 6 tonnes category, sales in Western Europe should increase by 1% (199,000 units), and by 20% in Central Europe (24,000 units). The increase should then be 19% in 2011 and 14% in 2012. At this rate, it will be 2014 before we return to 2005/2006 levels.

For Central Europe, the first year of clear improvement will only be 2012, and if the 2005 level (around 38,000 units) may be achieved in 2013 or 2014, it currently seems Utopian to arrive at the record levels of 2006 to 2008 (74,000 units in 2007).

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