Exports of German Leisure Vehicles Back to “Pre-Corona” Level

Foreign demand for German-made motor caravans and caravans has picked up significantly in the first half of 2021, following a sharp decline in the previous year due to the Corona pandemic. A total of 27,833 leisure vehicles were exported in the first six months. This corresponds to an increase of 23.8 per cent. This means that exports have come through the Corona trough and are back to 2019 levels. The export ratio is at 40.2 per cent, the same as last year. Since the beginning of the year, 16,761 motor caravans and 11,072 caravans have left the factories of German manufacturers for foreign markets. This is 20.4 and 29.4 percent respectively more than in the first half of the previous year. The export ratios are 37.5 and 45.0 percent respectively. “The high export ratio underlines the great importance of foreign business for the German caravanning industry. We are therefore pleased that demand in Europe has picked up so strongly again after the difficult year 2020,” says Daniel Onggowinarso, Managing Director of the caravanning industry association CIVD. “We also see further growth potential in most foreign markets in the coming months,” says Onggowinarso optimistically.

Stagnant supply chains affect vehicle production

Production of German motor caravans and caravans also increased sharply in the first half of the year, after having to be temporarily scaled down last year due to the pandemic. Between January and June, a total of 69,241 leisure vehicles rolled off the assembly lines of German manufacturers. That is 23.7 percent more than in the same period last year. Output is, thus, back at the record level of the “pre-Corona era”. Motor caravan production grew by 23.6 percent to 44,637 units, caravan production increased by 23.8 percent to 24,604 vehicles. Nevertheless, the caravanning industry is currently struggling with supply problems, as Onggowinarso elaborates: “Production continues to be severely affected by a lack of components and raw materials. The order books are very full, but the strained and faltering supply chains prevent production from ramping up further. It will take several more months before the situation eases and the bottlenecks are gradually reduced,” Onggowinarso explains.