Van registrations decline despite period of strong demand

The light commercial vehicle market (LCV) declined in May following a period of exceptionally strong demand, figures show.

According to statistics released by SMMT, 26,982 new vans hit British roads in May, representing a fall of -5.3 per cent.

Demand for pickups continued its upward trend, with registrations increasing by 26.2 per cent compared with the same month last year.

However, the medium and large van segments experienced a decline, with registrations of vans weighing 2.0- 2.5 tonnes down -2.1 per cent, while vans weighing 2.5 -3.5 tonnes fell -10.1 per cent.

The under 2.0-tonne segment, meanwhile, remained steady, with an -0.8 per cent decline representing just 20 fewer small van registrations than May 2016.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, commented: “LCV registrations have experienced a period of stellar growth in recent years, so this decline was expected as the market stabilises.

“To put this performance into context, overall demand remains strong with year-to-date registrations up 51.2 per cent compared with the same period five years ago, and we expect demand to remain stable at similar levels throughout the year.”