Registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in largest European markets slightly rose again

05 Nov 2020

Registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in largest European markets slightly rose again

Between January and September 2020, motorcycle registrations in the five largest European markets (i.e. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, i.e. about 80% of the EU + UK motorcycle market) reached 708,503 units. This volume of registrations represents a decrease of 3.3% in comparison to the first nine months of 2019.

The current registration trends in the motorcycle segment, however, show an improvement in comparison to the first six months of the year, when the motorcycle registrations in the main European markets had fallen on average by 17%. This was due to the paralysis of commercial activity, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus (see the previous press releases here and here).

The moped segment looks in better shape, with registrations in the largest European markets (i.e. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain) reaching a total of 205,688 units during the first nine months of 2020. This represents an increase of 6.4% in comparison to the same period of 2019.

Quote

Commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: “The registration figures for the first 9 months of the year show that the sector is slowly starting to recover from the very difficult months of March and April 2020 that had put the sector under unprecedented financial stress. The situation remains delicate, and the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 outbreak is not over yet”.

“That said, there are reasons to be optimistic. The recent decision by the EU institutions to extend the cut-off deadline for selling Euro 4 models until 31 of December 2021, will certainly help the motorcycle industry to better cope with this crisis”.

“Also, the COVID-19 crisis creates opportunities for policy-makers to rethink about local transport policy. The crisis has clearly shown that overreliance on public transport can create vulnerabilities in cities' transport systems. A preferable better approach would be to find a balance between different transport modes. Better integration of two-wheelers in the transport mix, for example, can reduce the present risks of operating public transport networks at full capacity".

Note

The new "COVID-19 measure" (article 44a, EU Regulation 168/2013) will complement the current rules on End of Series (art. 44, EU Regulation 168/2013), which grant the possibility to register a limited amount of Euro 4 vehicles (up to 10% of past 2 years sales, per OEM type) until 31/12/2022. The agreement between the European Parliament and the Council is pending of final adoption and publication in the EU official journal.