Mexico’s Heavy Vehicle Industry Recovers

The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) reported an increase in sales, production and exports of heavy vehicles in Feb. 2022 compared to Feb.2021.

INEGI’s Administrative Registry of Light Vehicles of the Automotive Industry (RAIAVP) shows that between Jan. 2022 and Feb. 2022, 5,182 heavy vehicles were sold at retail, representing a 13.62 percent increase compared to 2021. Also, 1,255 more heavy vehicles were sold wholesale during the same period. In Feb. 2022, companies within the RAIAVP sold a total of 2,583 heavy vehicles at retail and 2,756 at wholesale within the national market. INEGI’s information was collected from the companies affiliated to the National Association of Producers of Buses, Trucks and Tractors (ANPACT) A.C. and LDR Solutions.

Production of heavy vehicles also showed a recovery in Feb. 2022, with 4,168 more units produced than in Feb. 2021, representing an annual increase of 40.95 percent. During Jan. and Feb. 2022, 98.2 percent of the production of heavy vehicles was concentrated on cargo vehicles, with a production of 28,539 units. The rest were passenger vehicles, representing 533 units. The total production of heavy vehicles during Jan. and Feb. 2022 was 29,072 units.

Heavy vehicle sales are having better results than light vehicle sales which, during Feb. 2022, decreased by 3.9 percent compared to 2021, as reported by MBN. Light vehicle production in Feb. 2022 amounted to 240.479 vehicles, 1,575 more units than in 2021, as reported by MBN.

Heavy vehicle exports also increased in Feb. 2022, with 2,805 more units than in Feb. 2021, an increase of 31.49 percent. The US was the destination of heavy vehicle exports, receiving 95.3 percent, followed by Canada with 1.7 percent and Colombia with 1.5 percent.

The heavy vehicle national market is showing a recovery that not only benefits Mexico’s economy but also opens the door for heavy vehicle manufacturers to bring to Mexico the latest technology in urban, interurban and coach buses. The Mexican bus ecosystem is adapting to new consumer demands and transportation needs, from electrification and efficiency to technology and passenger experience. In Oct. 2021, Mexico City welcomed the arrival of ten BRT e-buses with intelligent connected vehicle systems from Chinese OEM Yutong, as reported by MBN.