UK: July van market hits speed bump as sales dip

LCV registrations for the first seven months are up, though.

MS-RT Transit Custom can now be ordered from UK Ford dealers

Angel Sergeev

By: Angel Sergeev

Aug 9, 2024 at 2:53am ET

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It seems the UK’s van market put the brakes on in July, with sales hitting a bit of a pothole. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), only 24,689 new light commercial vehicles joined the roads last month – a drop of 8.5 per cent compared to July 2023. But before you start sounding the alarm bells, remember that last July was a turbocharged month, the best in three years, riding high on 17 straight months of market growth.

Despite the July 2024 slump, the overall market isn’t stalling out just yet. In fact, registrations for the year are up 2.7 per cent so far, making it the best first seven months since 2019. So, while July’s numbers might look like a wrong turn, the market is still cruising along nicely.

UK’s best-selling LCV models in July 2024:

Ford Transit Custom - 3,718
Ford Transit - 1,744
VW Transporter - 1,413
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - 1,354
Ford Ranger - 1,345
Vauxhall Vivaro - 1,225
Renault Trafic - 1,178
Vauxhall Combo - 844
Citroen Berlingo - 735
Ford Transit Courier - 708

But not all vans are created equal. The biggest vans saw a 12 per cent drop, with only 16,814 rolling off the lots. These big guys still dominate the market, making up over two-thirds of all sales, but their popularity seems to have taken a hit. Medium-sized vans didn’t fare much better, with registrations slipping by 8.4 per cent. Even pickups and 4x4s couldn’t escape the slowdown, dipping by 5.1 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively.

Reports for previous months:

Record-breaking month sees surge in UK van registrations

UK's new van market continues to deliver record figures in April

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However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The tiniest vans had a field day, with registrations more than doubling to 929 units – a whopping 117.6 per cent jump. Sure, these little guys make up a small slice of the market, but they’ve been punching above their weight all year, with demand up 42 per cent thanks to some shiny new models hitting the streets.

UK’s best-selling LCV models year-to-date:

Ford Transit Custom - 25,857
Ford Transit - 17,727
Ford Ranger - 11,683
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - 10,473
Vauxhall Vivaro - 9,925
Volkswagen Transporter - 9,689
Renault Trafic - 8,308
Citroen Berlingo - 7,501
Ford Transit Connect - 6,936
Vauxhall Combo - 6,568

On the green front, battery electric vehicles seem to have run out of juice in July, with a 14.6 per cent drop in registrations. While manufacturers have rolled out 28 new electric models this year (up from 25 last year), fewer fleets decided to go electric. BEVs now make up 5.1 per cent of all new vans, but their popularity is down 7 per cent for the year.

UK new van sales, July 2024

Source: SMMT

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