Volvo July truck deliveries up 29%

Aug. 26, 2002
Swedish truckmaker Volvo said today that deliveries of trucks in July increased 29 percent year-on-year, boosted by a surge in demand from the United
Swedish truckmaker Volvo said today that deliveries of trucks in July increased 29 percent year-on-year, boosted by a surge in demand from the United States. Volvo said 12,673 trucks were delivered in July compared with 9,788 a year ago -- a boost due to a rush of orders from the United States because of new U.S. engine emission regulations that take effect in autumn. North America generates some 30 percent of the turnover of Volvo, the world's second-biggest maker of heavy trucks. Volvo said the surge in demand was a one-off and on a year-to-date basis deliveries totalled 89,776 trucks compared with 91,872 trucks, representing a two percent fall. "In the USA, both the high delivery rate and the slow order intake are results of customers pre-buying trucks before the new emission regulations came into effect in October this year," Volvo Chief Executive Leif Johansson said in a statement. Looking at its U.S Mack Trucks unit, Volvo said that as expected the surge in North American heavy-duty truck order intake ended in July, following the filling of available production slots for trucks with EPA 2002 engines. In Europe, although the market there had slowed down in the first half of the year compared with 2001, deliveries from Renault Trucks at the end of July was close to flat. Last month Volvo posted a return to profit in the second quarter as expected and its CEO was cautiously upbeat about full year prospects.