UK van market starts 2020 with a bang
Written by: Simon Pavey, Last updated:1st June 2021
Figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have highlighted an extremely positive start to the new year for the UK van sector.
Demand for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) rose for a second consecutive month in January 2020.
A prolific start to the new year
The SMMT’s data showed a 5.9 per cent upturn in LCV registrations in comparison to the same month last year.
In total, manufacturers delivered 23,557 vehicles in the under 3.5-tonne weight class. Both pent-up demand and regulatory changes were cited as major drivers of growth for the market.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes commented: “January’s growth is welcome news for the commercial vehicle sector.
“Especially welcome is the increased uptake of alternatively-fuelled commercial vehicles, essential if we are to address both climate change and air quality goals.”
The Ford Transit Custom ranked as the most popular LCV in the UK in January, with 3,117 registrations recorded. This was followed by the Ford Transit (1,897), Vauxhall Vivaro (1,549), Ford Transit Connect (1,364) and Citroen Berlingo (1,245).
Ellie Baker, brand manager at Fuel Card Services, comments: “Ongoing growth in the UK LCV market is excellent news for the automotive sector and, with increased certainty for markets following the UK’s departure from the EU at the end of January, the current situation bodes well for further improvement as 2020 moves forward.”
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