Market of new large trucks in Ukraine up 56.5% in 2023 - analysts
MOSCOW. Jan 9 (Interfax) - The sales of new trucks with a gross vehicle weight of over 3.5 tonnes in Ukraine in 2023 were the highest over the previous ten years, having grown 56.5% to 4,853 compared to 2022, Ukrainian media reported with reference to the AUTO-Consulting information and analytical group.
The 2023 sales even exceeded those in the pre-crisis year of 2021, when 4,794 such trucks were sold in the country.
"The market structure has also changed. The Ukrainian market in 2023 was dominated by European brands chosen by transport operators. However, alternative manufacturers have also been expanding their presence in the last months of the year due to fewer procurements of tractor units and growing purchases of public utility vehicles and equipment for the energy sector," it said.
Therefore, while European manufacturers retained their leadership at year's end, AUTO-Consulting recorded a substantial increase in the sales of Ford, JAC, Dayun, Isuzu, and other brands in December.
Scania topped the list with 710 trucks sold in Ukraine in 2023, which is twice as many as in 2022, and its market share in the country increased to 14.6% from 11.25%. At the same time, Scania was only eighth in this respect in December 2023 by selling 26 trucks, compared to 52 in December 2022.
MAN, whose truck sales in Ukraine have been the largest in the past few months, ranked second with 651 of them sold over the whole of 2023, which is 42% more than in 2022. They were followed by Mercedes-Benz with 499 vehicles (+20.2%), Volvo with 473 (+34%), IVECO with 443 (+120%), Ford with 384 (+107%), Renault with 319 (+200%), and DAF with 274 (+3.3%).
In 2022, the five best-selling truck brands in Ukraine were MAN, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Scania, and Belarus's MAZ.
In the segment of public utility vehicles, where most of procurements are carried out on a competitive basis and where the price plays the principal role, the 2023 sales leaders were different, AUTO-Consulting said.
"Therefore, competition between European and Asian manufacturers will continue," it said.