The head of Volkswagen’s VWC commercial vehicle unit on Monday predicted a difficult second half of the year after strong sales in the first.
“We are aware that many markets are currently cooling down,” VWN chief Carsten Intra said during the IAA Transportation commercial vehicle show in Hannover. “The second half of the year will be challenging,” Intra said.
In the first half of the year, VWC deliveries were up 11.5% compared to the same period last year, with adjusted operating profit up 43% to 641 million euros ($713 million). The return on sales landed at 7.9%.
The figures were boosted by strong orders for the T6.1 transporter, a medium-sized van that hit the market at the end of June.
Deliveries of the successor, which was presented for the first time at IAA Transportation, will begin at the end of the year.
More than 10,000 orders for the new vehicle had come in since August, says Lars Krause, head of VWC sales and marketing. The new transporter has been developed together with Ford and is being assembled at Ford’s factory in Turkey.