July new van market ‘steady’ says SMMT

The new van market achieved a steady performance in July – down just -0.2 per cent – with nearly 25,000 new LCV registrations last month, according to figures released today by SMMT.

Heavier vans saw a small decline in demand, with registrations for the 2.5-3.5T segment down -2.2 per cent last month. However these larger vehicles accounted for 63 per cent of all the vans registered so far this year. Figures for smaller LCVs painted a mixed picture, with registrations of new vans below 2.0 tonnes up 1.6 per cent, while vans between 2.0-2.5 tonnes fell -2.8 per cent.

Year-to-date figures show heavy vans continue to dominate the market, with registrations up 10.8 per cent as operators seek to maximise the productivity of their fleet.

Mike Hawes, chief executive, SMMT, said, “After a record performance in the first half of the year, it was inevitable that growth would start to level off over the summer. Maintaining business confidence for LCV operators will be critical to this sector’s future performance.”