11:48 am, February 6, 2023
New LCV registrations rocketed to 22,098 units last month – a 25.8 per cent increase on January 2022, according to latest figures published by the SMMT this morning.
It was the first rise in new LCV registrations in the UK – Europe’s second-largest van market – since the September plate change last year.
However, while full-year growth is expected in 2023, it was 6.2 per cent below pre-pandemic January 2020’s 23,557 units because of the intermittent nature of fleet renewal.
Registrations rose across all weight classes.
January also saw record deliveries of battery-electric vans for the month – up 53.5 per cent to 993 units, accounting for one in 22 vans joining the UK’s roads.
The SMMT said that with nearly 40 plug-in LCV models currently available and more in the pipeline this year, the trend is set to continue. It anticipates 2023 BEV uptake to rise by 64.5 per cent to some 28,000 units.
The top-selling LCV was the Ford Transit Custom, pictured at top, at 2,787 units, followed by the Volkswagen Transporter (1,428) and Ford Ranger (1,367).
Source: SMMT
Thanks to green fleet investment, the total LCV market is also set to grow this year, reckons the SMMT, with 321,000 van registrations targeted, amounting to an uplift of 13.9 per cent.
That equals a market value of more than £13bn and is a £1.5bn increase on 2022.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘The LCV sector is already delivering growth for the UK in 2023, bucking the recessional economic trends.
‘Manufacturers have invested billions to bring choice to the market, especially in electrified vehicles, so harnessing this momentum will be essential to an increasingly green recovery.
‘Accelerating electric van uptake means delivering infrastructure and incentives to give every van operator the confidence to make the switch.’
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