Van industry delivers for UK economy
Vans contribute more to the UK economy that gaming and the film industry, according to a new report.
Commissioned by Ford, the report, titled Economics of Commercial Van Usage Across Europe, was compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
It found that vans added £125.2bn to the UK economy in 2017, a 32% increase since 2012. It found the boost was driven by online shopping and the surge in self-employment.
Its contribution, €675bn in 2017 alone, saw the van economy exceed the GDP of nations that include Argentina, Saudi Arabia, and Switzerland.
The average van in the UK covered 12,400 miles in 2018 – more than any other country in Europe. Commercial vehicles in the UK as a whole travelled a combined total of 49.7 billion miles in 2018 – enough to make over 250 round trips to the sun, or the equivalent to walking the entire Great Wall of China more than four million times in a year.
Hans Schep, general manager, Commercial Vehicles, Ford of Europe, said, ‘Vans offer crucial support to a world where how we live, work and get about is quickly changing. This report shows that through their contribution to the wider economy, light commercial vehicles truly are the backbone of business in Europe.’
For the report, CEBR calculated the value of businesses made possible by vans, such as postal and courier services, as well as the fuel duty contribution of van operators to governments. The report, which focused on seven leading European economies, identified that between 2012 and 2017, the UK showed the biggest percentage increase in contribution to the economy, from €110bn to €145bn, followed by Germany, from €139.4bn to €182.9bn.
This contribution is being made possible by more vans travelling further than ever before. The number of vans on the road in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and the UK increased by more than 10% between 2013 and 2018, from 23,250,000 to 25,690,000, with most growth shown by Turkey (31%), Germany (24%) and UK (20%).
