Sales volume rises to record high 2010 commercial volume of commercial vehicles

Volkswagen AG’s commercial vehicle division said on the 21st that its sales for the first eight months of 2010 increased by 18% year-on-year to 269,800 units, and that the department’s target for 2010 sales was a record high.

Wolfgang Schreiber, Commercial Vehicles Division Manager, told reporters at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover, northern Germany, that he was “optimistic” about the sales record of more than 447,000 units set in 2008.

In the first half of 2010, the department’s automobile sales increased to approximately 159,000 units, compared with 135,000 units in the same period of 2009. Its revenue for the first half of the year increased from 2.66 billion euros to 3.54 billion euros.

Volkswagen, the largest-selling automaker in Europe, is considering reorganizing the commercial vehicle sector. At the same time, Volkswagen may incorporate this sector into the VW core passenger vehicle brand to achieve the cost-consequence increase expected in recent months. The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles Division produces light commercial vehicles such as Crafter, Multivan and the new Amarok pickup.

Volkswagen sold its heavy truck business in Brazil to MAN SE in 2009. Volkswagen is the largest shareholder of the company and holds a 29.9% stake. Volkswagen aims to establish the European Truck Alliance between the Swedish Scania AB heavy truck brand and the Volkswagen brand, as well as the Manchester brand.