8:29 am, June 5, 2026
LCV registrations rose by 3.6% in May, marking the second successive month of growth for the first time since 2024, new figures show.
But behind the headlines, a dramatic fall in pickup registrations has led to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) to call for the cancellation of the controversial Benefit-in-Kind tax changes which took effect in April 2025.
Latest SMMT data for May shows combined van, pickup and 4×4 registrations rose by 3.6% to 23,620 units.
The growth was driven by demand for large vans, with registrations up 18.6% to 17,380 units and a market share of 73.6%, compared with a 64.3% share in May last year.
Uptake of 4x4s also grew, up 16.2% to 832 units, while deliveries of medium and small vans fell by 7.5% and 24.5% to 3,762 and 508 units respectively.
Demand for BEVs grew strongly, up 35.5% with 2,345 registrations in May as market share reached 9.8%, up from 7.6% in the same period last year. But the SMMT noted that despite the strong rise, the overall EV van market is some way off the ZEV mandated target of 24%.
However, it was the pickup sector that experienced the worst decline. Registrations of the vehicle type crashed by 57.7% to just 1,138 registrations. Pickups now represent just 4.8% of the total market versus 11.8% a year ago.
In April 2025, the government changed the rules around double-cab pickups and classified them as cars for Benefit-in-King purposes.
In the registrations data for May, the SMMT called on the government to reverse the move.
It said: ‘Industry continues to call on government to reverse this measure to encourage investment into lower emission and zero emission models, supporting decarbonisation while still benefiting Treasury revenue.’
Commenting on the overall performance in May, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘Two months of LCV market growth is good news, but the overall outlook remains challenging.
‘Battery electric van uptake is rising, but not fast enough to match regulatory ambition, while the collapse in pickup demand shows how quickly tax policy can hit key sectors.
‘If the transition is to succeed, regulation, infrastructure and incentives must be aligned with the realities of the market.’
