European bus, intercity and tourism coach markets make a strong recovery in 2023
By Jim Gibbins - 19th March 2024
Europe – Bus and coach deliveries in Europe* (*Countries EU27+UK+ICE+NO+CH) reversed a three year downward trend in 2023 increasing economic by almost 21% to 31,020 units, up from 25,658 units in 2022, according to figures collated and produced by Wim Chatrou of Chatrou CME Solutions (CME) of The Netherlands. This total of bus and coach registrations in 2023 came close to but was still shy by almost 2,000 units of the recent high of 32,978 vehicles in 2019.
A closer inspection of the markets showed substantial disparities between segments. For instance, in the city bus market, CME reported total registrations in the EU27+4 countries of 15,142 vehicles in 2022, an increase of 12.7% on 13,434 units in 2022, yet still a decrease of 3% on the pre-Covid year of 15,616 units in 2019. A key statistic pointed out by CME was that registrations of battery electric buses grew for a fourth year in a row from 4,152 in 2022 to 6,354 in 2023; an increase of 53.0%.
