LCV registrations up for fifth straight month
The number of UK light commercial vehicles (LCVs) registered in the UK grew by 15.3% in May compared with last year, reaching 25,359 units.
According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), this represents the fifth consecutive month of rising deliveries as the market rebounds from a tough 2022 as supply chain challenges continue to ease.
However, registrations remain 13% below the pre-pandemic 2019 level.
More businesses switched to zero emission workhorses, too, with the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market up 19.7% to 1,041 units, representing around one in 24 new vans. Rising demand means that 7,028 all-electric vans have been registered so far in 2023, an increase of 15.5% on the same period last year.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “A van market rebound is an opportunity to deliver an increasingly environmentally sustainable recovery and a boost to the economy. But every lever must be pulled to support the electric switch. With the forthcoming ZEV Mandate, we also need a national plan to deliver public charging infrastructure that encourages plug-in van uptake, to give the UK confidence over what can – and must – be a stable, successful transition for businesses up and down the country.”
