The TIC T-Mark sales figures for August have again underlined the Australian commercial vehicle market is set for an all-time record, with sales for the month and for the year to date again underlining an ongoing boom market.
A total of 3926 heavy vehicles were sold in the month making it the best monthly result for any August ever. The August result took the year to date tally to a massive 28307, putting this year’s tally 1148 units ahead of the same time in the record year of 2018.
Those figures put the result close to 406 sales ahead of August last year and 1571 up on the result for August last year, with almost ever truck maker reporting full order books through into 2023 and beyond, a new record is a certainty.
Isuzu returned another stunning result , leading the market with 1221 sales for the month, capturing 31.1 per cent of the market. The Isuzu result was 332 units ahead of its tally in August last year and 131 ahead of the same month in 2018. Its year to date tally of 8354 puts the market leader on track to top 12000 for the year, and possibly go close to selling more than 13000 for the year, which if it happens, will top its previous best by close to 3000 trucks.
Hino was second but again showed signs of supply issues registering 472 trucks in August for 12 per cent market share, around the same number it sold last month, but with further supply problems on the horizon, thanks to the moratorium on truck production in Japan, due to its emission cheating scandal, the Toyota subsidiary is likely to suffer in the next few months.
Fuso lifted its tally slightly over. Recent months registering 397 sales in August to be third with 10.1 per cent share.
Kenworth was number on in heavy duty and was fourth overall with 281 sales in July, with Volvo fifth on 218 sales, Iveco next on 126 and UD close behind in seventh with a strong 120 for the month. Mercedes was eighth on 118, Scania ninth on 111 sales, and DAF rounded out the top ten with a strong 76 to put both Paccar brands in the top ten.
Renault had a big month with 69 sales to be ahead of Mack on 58 , Fiat on 44 and Freightliner on 41.
Kenworth’s 281 was up from the slight dip it had in July result while its main heavy rival, Volvo, also lifted as its supply issues continue to improve 216 heavy duty models (along with two mediums). The Paccar brand continues to have a stranglehold on the Heavy market YTD with at 1910 units so far in 2022, 524 ahead of Volvo so far this year.
Isuzu was next best in Heavy, with 179 sales, while Scania’s 111 was another strong result, while UD had a massive moth in heavies selling 101, making it the only other brand to break three figures.
It was an unusual month in Heavy for Daimler brands. Mercedes is normally the dominant brand amongst its Daimler family, however Fuso was the best in August with 72 Heavy sales, underlining the success so far of the Shogun model. Mercedes sold just 60 heavies while the other Daimler brands, Freightliner sold 41.
DAF sold 71 trucks in heavy duty while Hino had another good result in August with 69 of its 700 Series trucks registered.
Mack with 58 was tenth in the sector , while the rest of the contenders in heavy duty included Freightliner on 41 Iveco on 28, Man on 25, Western Star on seven and Dennis Eagle with six.
Medium duty was another whitewash for Isuzu with 338 sales and an amazing 50.5 per cent share of the sector, well clear of rival Hino on 174 and 26 per cent share, while Fuso was third on 109 and 16.3per cent for the month. UD was fourth with 19 medium duties, Iveco and MAN equal sixth with eight trucks each. DAF sold five mediums, SEA Electric tallied four while Mercedes and Volvo both sold two mediums. Hyundai’s medium duty models put the Korean brand in fifth in July, but it didn’t sell a single unit in medium duty in August.
Light duty was where Isuzu really pulled some numbers, moving 704 units for August, giving it a whopping 49.2 per cent share of the sector. The enormity of the performance was underlined by the fact that second placed Hino finished the month with 229 sales and 16 per cent share in light duty, a massive 475 behind Isuzu, and perilously close to perpetual third place getter Fuso, which sold 216 trucks.
Between them the three Japanese brands held 84.1per cent of the light sector with Iveco next best with its Daily based truck chassis selling 90 for the month, ahead of fellow Euro brands Renault with 64 sales, Mercedes with 56 Sprinters, and Fiat with 44.
Hyundai again fell from a strong July performance when it sold 33 light duty to sell just 13 Mightys in August.
In Vans Benz was back on top with 201 Sprinter sales in July, 74 ahead of Renault’s 127 sales, while Iveco was third with 75 Daily sales, just ahead of VW with 59 Crafters.
Strap yourselves in the last four months of 2022 are set to be a wild ride for the Australian heavy vehicle market and one that is going to be fascinating to watch.
