Light commercial vehicle registrations dropped in July, falling by a significant 8.5%, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
A total of 24,689 LCVs were registered, including vans, pickups and 4x4s.
The previous July was a very strong month, which is why the reduced numbers may look weaker than they are, as the year-to-date figures remain up on 2023 by 2.7%. This is the best first seven months since 2019.
Most of the decline was taken up by the large vans sector, which reduced by 12% to 16,814 units, while the lower-volume categories of medium vans and pickups fell by 8.4% and 5.1% respectively.
The small van category, however, more than doubled, showing a 117.6% increase to 929 units.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) registrations continue to perform poorly, down 5.5% year-to-date from 2023. Market share has also fallen from 5.2% in 2023 to 4.8% this year.
Despite new BEV models being introduced to the market, and the zero-emission vehicle mandate that requires manufacturers to sell a percentage of electric vehicles relative to diesel models, BEV uptake has been very slow. This reluctance is down to several factors, with many citing the availability of electric charging stations to be the most important.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain’s new van market remains robust following a record-equalling growth run and, despite a dip in June and July, demand will resume with manufacturers offering impressive product line-ups. Declining uptake of the very greenest models remains a major concern, however, given the UK’s zero emission ambitions. Industry has invested – and continues to commit – billions into this transition but manufacturers cannot deliver this alone. Given the paucity of van-specific charging infrastructure, we need an equally ambitious mandate for chargepoint rollout, one that supports operators right across the country.”
