Van-tastic September for Britain’s LCV market

The UK’s light commercial vehicle (LCV) market has been revving up once again, delivering its best September performance in four years. According to the latest stats from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), 48,455 shiny new vans, 4x4s, and pickups hit the road last month, marking an 8.3 per cent boost. It seems business owners have been in the mood for a fleet refresh, only topped by March’s splurge. The reason? That flashy new '74' number plate everyone’s been waiting for.

So far, the LCV market has grown by 3.6 per cent this year, with 267,339 new vans zooming across the UK since January. Not too shabby, considering the market hasn’t seen this much action since 2019. And while many industries are feeling the pinch, it seems nothing can keep Britain’s businesses from stocking up on vans.

New van registrations for previous months:

UK van market bounces back after two-month slump

UK: July van market hits speed bump as sales dip

Breaking it down, the real MVPs in September were the littlest of the lot – small vans. Registrations for these compact heroes skyrocketed by 34.1 per cent, with 1,180 new ones now proudly on British roads. Medium vans weren’t far behind, cruising up by 34.8 per cent, adding 9,552 to the fleet. But let’s be real, the big dogs still run the show. The largest vans, the giants of the road, saw an 8.6 per cent rise, with a whopping 31,645 new units rolling out. With over 65 per cent of the market, these van titans are clearly still in demand.

But not everything's shiny and new. Pickups and 4x4s didn’t get the memo. Demand for these rugged workhorses dropped like a stone – pickups were down 16 per cent and 4x4s plunged by a massive 42.4 per cent. Apparently, last year’s high demand left them with a bit of a hangover.

UK new van registrations, September 2024

SMMT

While the overall market is thriving, electric vans are having a bit of a flat battery moment. BEV registrations dipped for the fourth month running, down by 0.5 per cent. In fact, it’s been a rough year for electric vans, with 2024 showing a 7.7 per cent drop in registrations compared to last year.

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