DaimlerChrysler said its truck sales rose by 1.4 percent in 2006, to a record 537,000 units.
Truck Group sales rose to 106,400 units in Western Europe, versus 102,400 in 2005, 187,800 units in the NAFTA region (2005: 183,000) and 71,100 units in Japan (2005: 59,200). In South America, sales rose from 38,900 to 39,500 units.
In the remaining regions of the world, sales decreased due to weaker markets to 132,200 units, from 146,100 in 2005.
“As a result of cyclical and regulatory developments, we expect the markets in NAFTA and Japan to weaken significantly in 2007, while we anticipate that the demand in the European markets will contract only slightly," said Andreas Renschler, DaimlerChrysler Board of Management member responsible for the Truck Group & Buses.
He said the company is "well-equipped to handle this challenge," adding that he expects the markets to recover in 2008 because new emissions regulations will probably lead to pre-buy effects.
