Last month witnessed an 8.4% year-on-year increase in the demand for Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs), with 23,962 vehicles joining the ranks of UK businesses and company fleets. It marks 13 consecutive months of growth, and is the highest January total since 2021's figure of 24,209. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) attributes this growth to the expanding role of vans in the UK economy, serving local trades, deliveries, and national retailers.
The SMMT also noted a rise in new battery-electric vehicle (BEV) registrations, with demand reaching 1,186 units in January, a 19.4% increase compared to the same month last year. Since 2018, around 60,517 new battery-electric vans have been added to Britain's roads, facilitated by the plug-in van grant, aiding businesses in reducing their carbon footprint.
However, the SMMT cautioned that demand needs to accelerate further, with volumes expected to increase from 5.9% of the market in 2023 to 9.4% this year, falling slightly short of the government's 10% target mandate. Flexibilities in the Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme can offset this initial shortfall, but the SMMT emphasised the need for increased investment in public charging infrastructure for vans of all sizes, citing it as the primary obstacle to a faster rollout of battery-electric vans.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, highlighted the importance of vans to the UK economy, he states, ‘More than a year of growth shows the importance of vans to Britain’s economy, and surpassing 60,000 electric vans is a crucial step in our net zero journey.
‘Industry is ready to deliver a mass market transition but buyer demand must increase massively, requiring everyone to play their part.
‘Ramping up dedicated public van charging infrastructure in particular is essential for all UK businesses to be confident of making the switch, sooner rather than later.’
In terms of January's LCV sales, the Ford Transit Custom led the pack with 2,656 units, followed by the Transit at 1,898 and the Vauxhall Vivaro at 1,612. The rest of the top 10 comprised the Citroen Berlingo (1,598), Ford Ranger (1,484), Volkswagen Transporter (1,264), Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (1,235), Toyota Hilux (1,161), Peugeot Partner (789), and Ford Transit Connect (661).