The new light van market shrank by 8% year-on-year in December, with sales falling across almost every category as 2024 comes to a close.
According to the latest figures published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), over 27,000 new LCVs arrived on British roads last month, this being close to 2,500 less registrations than the same month last year.
With the December LCV registration figures confirmed, we now have a full picture of the market’s annual performance. Overall, the new light van market grew by a modest 3% in 2024, with over 350,000 new vans, pick-ups and 4x4s joining UK roads this year. The SMMT says that we have seen the best year for fleet renewal since 2021.
Looking at the December sales results in more detail, registrations fell in almost every category when compared to December 2023. Compact vans (under two tonnes) was the only sector that grew, recording 14% more sales year-on-year. Sales of mid-sized vans (between two and two-and-a-half tonnes) dropped by 4%, while large van registrations (between two-and-a-half and three-and-a-half tonnes) fell by 2%.
The sales of 4x4s more than halved, dropping 54%, while the December pickups sales total also fell by 28% when compared to December 2023.
BEV sales growth comes too little too late
The electric van (BEV) market has recorded significant sales growth in recent months, following October’s 57% registrations uptick with a 32% higher all-electric sales total in November. The trend continued in December too, BEV sales increasing by 10% year-on-year last month.
This is in stark contrast the rather depressing 30% and 19% sales nosedives for the electric van sector in August and September respectively, and the recent all-electric sales uptick has not quite made up for the Summer sales depression, as the BEV sector has ended 2024 being ever so slightly smaller (0.1% decline in market share) than it was at the end of 2023.
The government’s Vehicle Emissions Trading Scheme targeted a BEV market share of 10% for each brand by the end of 2024. For the market overall, electric vans currently account for under 6% of the total number of new registrations this year.
So, why is the BEV market not growing like the electric car market? With each manufacturer now mandated to achieve a minimum proportion of zero-emission registrations every year, this has been a worrying development for the BEV sector. The SMMT has praised the government’s decision to extend the Plug-in Van Grant into the next financial year, but argues that increasing the rollout of charging stations – including van-specific charging infrastructure – will increase consumer BEV interest.
Good month, bad month
Some LCV manufacturers recorded commendable sales results last month, while a many others failed to keep pace.
Holding the biggest market share, Ford’s sales grew by 33% year-on-year. The likes of Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Isuzu increased their registration numbers by 10% or over in December year-on-year.
Conversely Ford, which holds the biggest market share, had a 12% sales reduction year-on-year. It also wasn’t a healthy month of sales for the likes of Vauxhall, Nissan, Fiat, Maxus, Toyota and Renault. All of these brands underachieved compared to the overall market by at least 10% (and in some cases, by a lot more than that).
The UK’s best-selling van of the Year is…
…The Ford Transit Custom! Are you surprised? You shouldn’t be. This mid-sized light van dominated the sales charts in 2023, and built an even more comfortable lead this year. With the 2024 sales race now concluded, the Ford Transit Custom holds a rather ridiculous 28,000-model sales lead over its closest market competitor, the Vauxhall Vivaro.
Its larger Transit sibling claims second place, and the Ford Ranger – the UK’s most popular pickup model by a country mile, sits in third. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – which directly rivals the sales of the Ford Transit – had been showing more consistent sales form towards the end of the year, and has made it count, claiming this year’s best-of-the-rest title.
The Sprinter is followed by the Vauxhall Vivaro, Renault Trafic, Peugeot Partner, Vauxhall Combo, and Citroën Berlingo, which completes the annual top ten sales standings.
