Sales of new powered two-wheelers(PTWs)in Europe Union(EU)saw a continued year-on-year(YoY)drop of 8.2%in the first quarter of 2012,and a 15%year-on-year(YoY)decrease in the first five months,according to the Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers in Europe(ACEM),which is pessimistic towards the rest of the year,saying that the European PTW market seems unable to arrest sales decline.
Even in Germany,a market that seemed able to withstand the decline,new-PTW sales dropped 6.7%YoY.However,the European situation is clearly to be attributed to the economic context underlying markets in southern Europe,which are suffering from growing unemployment rates,instable political leaderships and crumbling consumer confidence,the association said.
Only the U.K.is resisting the spill,with a modest 0.7%YoY volume growth.
Every other main European market reports double-digit YoY sales drops,including-14%in France,-27%in Italy,-21%in Spain,and-22%in the Netherlands.
In May only,some 151,924 PTWs were sold in the countries monitored by ACEM statistical service,down 21.7%YoY from 193,973 in the same month of last year.The political hesitation regarding the future of the"eurozone",according to ACEM,is not helping to build the necessary confidence in European consumers,who are already worried by the enduring recession in the main traditional PTW markets.
This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that next to the U.K.only Switzerland(+2.2%)and Norway(+5.3%),two countries outside the euro zone with politically stable administrations,are performing positively.
During the first five months of 2012,sales of mopeds or sub-50cc PTWs saw a YoY sales decline of 17%,while sales of PTWs over 50cc shrunk by 14%YoY,show ACEM statistics.
Source:
http://www.cens.com/cens/html/en/news/news_inner_40631.html
