Heavier van registrations drop again

Demand for heavier vans fell for the fifth consecutive month with registrations for vehicles weighing 2.5-3.5T down 0.6 per cent, according to figures by the SMMT.

The light commercial vehicle market has remained stable in August with 15,619 vans hitting the roads.

Year-to-date figures mirror this, with heavier van registrations dropping by 4 per cent, while pick ups and smaller vans rose by 14.4 per cent and 11.4 per cent respectively.

The research also found that the demand for new vans rose by 1.5 per cent – the best August results in 12 years. The growth has been driven by a 39.9 per cent uplift in smaller vans weighing 2.0-2.5T. Pickup registrations grew by eight per cent.

“August is traditionally one of the quietest months of the year, ahead of September’s plate change, so the moderate increase in the new van market is welcome news,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. “While year-to-date figures show demand easing, this is in line with market expectations and overall registration volumes remain at a very high level.

“This stabilising of the market is indicative of what we can expect for the remainder of the year.”