11:48 am, January 5, 2023
LCV registrations fell by more than a fifth last year with 282,139 units sold, according to figures released by the SMMT this morning.
The 20.6 per cent decline on 2021’s strong post-pandemic bounceback was despite strong order books throughout 2022.
The industry body said performance continued to be held back by ongoing supply chain problems that have restricted production worldwide, causing limited model availability.
As a result, the market was 22.9 per cent down on pre-pandemic 2019’s total of 365,778, making it the fewest LCV registrations since 2013, when just 271,073 LCVs were sold.
Demand for battery-electric vans (BEVs) grew, though, with deliveries up by 31.2 per cent to 16,744 units – 5.9 per cent of all vans joining UK roads last year.
Almost four in 10 of all the BEVs ever registered in the UK were delivered last year – 43,933 BEVs have been registered here since 1997.
The SMMT said the LCV market was set to deliver an extra £1.6bn for the British economy this year and a further £2.4bn in 2024, as its latest market outlook forecasts around 330,000 new van registrations in 2023.
The UK has the second-largest van market of all European nations so should be at the forefront of LCV decarbonisation, added the SMMT, with BEV deliveries expected to rise by 60.7 per cent in 2023.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, ‘While demand for new vans remained robust throughout 2022, replicating last year’s high levels of fleet renewal was always going to be a challenge with relentless supply chain disruptions and wider economic malaise.
‘A return to growth is expected in 2023, but if this crucial sector is to deliver for the economy, society and the environment, action is needed from all stakeholders, particularly in the areas of charging infrastructure and fiscal frameworks, enabling more van buyers to make the switch.’
The SMMT said the public charging infrastructure – already insufficient for the number of plug-in vehicles – was generally geared towards cars rather than vans.
The Top 10 LCVs of 2022
- Ford Transit Custom (42,215)
- Ford Transit (33,203)
- Mercedes-Benz Sprinter (17,034)
- Vauxhall Vivaro (16,830) – pictured at top
- Ford Ranger (16,827)
- Volkswagen Transporter (15,164)
- Ford Transit Connect (8,218)
- Peugeot Expert (8,131)
- Peugeot Trafic (8,085)
- Volkswagen Crafter (7,455)
Source: SMMT
Car Dealer Live – the future of the car dealer – exclusive conference features talks from leading car dealers, Google and Auto Trader among much more. Find out the full event details and book tickets.
