Europe’s commercial vehicle market returned to growth in the first half of 2026, but the recovery was uneven. According to ACEA, new van registrations in the EU rose by only 1.9% to 742,759 units, while truck registrations increased by 9.8% to 171,933 and buses and coaches by 22.7% to 22,590.
The stronger figures in trucks and buses contrasted with a largely stagnant van market. Heavy truck registrations rose by 11.1%, while buses recorded the fastest growth of all commercial vehicle segments.
Poland, Spain, and Germany were among the stronger truck markets, while Italy and Poland stood out in the bus market. Belgium moved in the opposite direction, with truck registrations down 7.3% and bus registrations falling by 26.7%.
Electrification clearest trend
Electrification remained the clearest structural trend. Electrically chargeable van registrations increased by 41.6%, lifting their share of the EU market from 9.5% to 13.2%. Electric trucks also grew strongly, although from a low base, while electric buses already accounted for more than a quarter of registrations.
For Renault Group, vans are the relevant part of this picture. Renault Trucks has been part of the Volvo Group since 2001, so the stronger truck market cannot be counted as Renault Group performance. It does, however, show that the broader commercial vehicle recovery was considerably stronger outside the van segment.
Within vans, the market remained subdued. Spain grew by 7.9%, but registrations declined in Germany, Italy, and France. Diesel still accounted for 79.1% of EU van sales, despite a 1.8% decline.
Stellantis continues its lead
The competitive hierarchy remained familiar. Stellantis continued to lead as a group, Ford remained the largest individual commercial vehicle brand, and Renault, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz Vans formed the main chasing pack.
Stellantis’ Pro One division, combining Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat Professional, Opel, Vauxhall, and Ram, sold 273,600 commercial vehicles in Europe 29 during the first half and claimed a 28.7% share. Its strength lies in the breadth of its portfolio, particularly in compact and large vans.
Ford remained the leading individual brand. Renault nevertheless clearly outperformed the wider market, with European light commercial vehicle sales rising by 11.7%. The brand retained second place, while the new Master became Europe’s best-selling individual large van.
That does not conflict with Stellantis’ claim to lead the large van segment. Master can be the best-selling single nameplate, while Stellantis remains larger overall by combining the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Citroën Jumper, and Opel Movano families.
Renault’s performance marks a recovery from a weaker 2025, when the phase-out of the Express and the gradual launch of the new Master weighed on volumes. Master is now driving the rebound, supported by Kangoo and Trafic.
The next challenge will be electrification. Renault already offers electric versions of Kangoo and Master, but its medium-sized electric van range remains less complete than those of Ford and Stellantis. Orders for the new battery-electric Trafic Van E-Tech are expected to open before the end of 2026.
Weaker trend in Belgium
Belgium followed a weaker trend than Europe. Van registrations fell by 4.9% to 37,455 units, while electrically chargeable vans increased by 45.2% to 3,605. Their market share reached 9.6%, still below the EU average of 13.2%.
Renault nevertheless gained ground in Belgium. Its van registrations rose by 2.6% to 6,168 units, lifting its share from 15.3% to 16.5%. Ford remained narrowly ahead with 6,363 registrations and a 17.0% share, despite a 13.6% decline.
Mercedes-Benz was the fastest-growing major Belgian brand, rising by 14.4% to 5,419 vans, while Volkswagen increased by 10.9% to 4,436. Peugeot, Citroën, and Opel all lost ground, but together with Fiat, they still kept Stellantis ahead as a group.
The first-half figures, therefore, show a European van market that is barely growing, while electric sales are expanding rapidly. Stellantis remains the dominant group and Ford the leading individual brand, but Renault is one of the clearest gainers. In Belgium, it came close to overtaking Ford in a shrinking market.
