In what is becoming 'more of the same', Isuzu remained Australia's number one truck brand in 2023, dominating the sales sheets, although Kenworth faced stern competition from Volvo in the heavy truck segment.
With a total sales figure of 13,658 trucks across the Light, Medium and Heavy Duty segments, Isuzu is the undisputed number one in the Australian Heavy Vehicle market, outselling the next most popular brand, Hino (5,909 units), by more than two to one.
Fuso, part of the global Daimler Trucks group, comes in at third, recording 4,822 sales, with all three Japanese manufacturers selling across all three segments.
Chinese manufacturer LDV, assisted by strong sales in the Light Duty segment, finished the year in fourth place, selling 3,865 units, just edging out heavy vehicle specialists Kenworth (3,655) and Swedish rival Volvo Commercial (3,552) to claim fourth overall.
Increasingly stringent exhaust emission and fuel consumption regulations, as well as the continuing growth in popularity of 'alternative' energy trucks, including natural gas, hybrid and full electric options is likely to see new names enter the sales race, with SEA Electric already establishing a toe-hold.
While some critics might describe this as an artificial result, created by government regulation, with overseas manufacturers committing greater resources to developing alternatives to fossil fuels, the reality is more customers will take advantage of a broader choice, to meet their needs.
The Heavy Vehicle market remains vital to Australia, with significant levels of local manufacturing supporting Australian suppliers, while the unique operating conditions, including the Multi Combination class, the ubiquitous 'road train', as well as the mix of high speed and high weights not found elsewhere in the world, makes Australia's roads a popular test bed and proving ground for new designs.
With more than 20 manufacturers all vying for a piece of what is a relatively small pie, on a global scale, this only strengthens Australia's place as a significant part of the overall commercial vehicle market.
Kommentare