12:03 pm, June 5, 2023
The number of LCVs registered in the UK grew by 15.3 per cent last month versus May 2022, reaching 25,359 units.
That’s according to the latest figures released by the SMMT this morning and means there have been five months in a row of rising deliveries.
The SMMT said the market was rebounding from a tough 2022 as supply chain problems continued to ease. However, registrations were still 13 per cent below the pre-pandemic 2019 level of 29,142 units in May 2019.
More businesses switched to zero-emission workhorses, too, with the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market up by 19.7 per cent to 1,041 units – about one in 24 new vans.
It means that 7,028 all-electric vans have been registered so far in 2023 – a rise of 15.5 per cent on the same period last year.
The SMMT highlighted that next year will see the launch of the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, setting a minimum quota for new ZEV registrations for every manufacturer.
But the industry body warned that the greatest barrier to increased BEVs on UK roads was the fear of being unable to find a suitable, available and working chargepoint wherever and whenever needed.
It added that this was particularly worrying for commercial vehicle operators, and called for a national plan to deliver the zero-emission van transition urgently.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: ‘A van market rebound is an opportunity to deliver an increasingly environmentally sustainable recovery and a boost to the economy.
‘But every lever must be pulled to support the electric switch.
‘With the forthcoming ZEV mandate, we also need a national plan to deliver public charging infrastructure that encourages plug-in van uptake, to give the UK confidence over what can – and must – be a stable, successful transition for businesses up and down the country.’
The top three selling LCVs in May were the Ford Transit Custom with 3,323 units, followed by the Ford Transit at 2,221 and Vauxhall Vivaro, pictured, at 1,694.
