LISBON: Vehicle sales rose by 31.4 percent year on year in May to total 21,053 units, ACAP – the Portuguese Automobile Association – reported this week.
The ACAP press release said that thus far this year the five-monthly vehicle sales total stood at 92,605 units, up 30.3 percent on 2014. Passenger vehicle sales rose 33.1 percent year-on-year in May to total 18,343 taking the accumulated total to 79,585 units, up 32.5 percent. The month saw 2,403 light commercial vehicles sold up 16.8 percent on last year and in keeping with the 16.6 percent rise in sales over the first five months of 2015 now totalling 11,490.
Lastly, heavy goods vehicles had a good May with 307 lorries sold, up 66.8 percent year on year and taking the accumulated total to 1,530, up 31.3 percent. The association did also note that while the year-on-year figures represented a clear improvement, the sales figures for May remained 7.7 percent below the monthly average for the last 15 years.
Furthermore, Monday saw the post office operator CTT sign a contract with Peugeot for the supply of a fleet totalling 604 vehicles at a market value of €15 million. At least half of the vehicles will be produced at Peugeot’s Mangualde plant in Portugal with both sides signalling how this not only boosted that factory’s productivity but also sent a knock on effect down through local supplier,thus providing a broader boost to the national economy.
