Light commercial vehicle registrations are continuing their downward trend in 2025, according to numbers published this morning by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Overall numbers were down by 15% compared to the same month last year, with large vans particularly suffering. The SMMT comments that this is poor sales result rounds off the worst opening half-year performance for the new LCV market since 2022.
It was the seventh straight month of LCV registrations decline year-on-year in June, with no respite in sight for the industry. Like April and May, 4×4 vehicles did show improvement compared to last June, as did the small van sector, but their gains were swallowed up by much larger falls in van registrations.
There continues to be growth in electric vans uptake, with a significant 97% increase in battery-powered LCV sales last month. That said, electric vans still only account for around 9% of the overall market, meaning the industry is well behind the government’s 2025 EV mandate target of 16%.
The biggest decline in May was in the mid-size (2.0 to 2.5 tonnes) segment, which was down 42% on the same month last year. Large diesel LCV segment (2.5 to 3.5 tonnes) which account for the largest share of new registrations, instead fell by 10%. Small (under 2.0 tonnes) vans and 4x4s were up by 22% and 16% respectively, while pick-up registrations were rather stagnant, falling by 1%.
In year-to-date terms, the overall market is down by a worrying 15%, thanks to sluggish sales for mid-size and large vans. While the SMMT and other industry lobbyists continue to bang the table for more EV subsidies from the government, this overlooks the fact that diesel van sales are falling (down 29,500 units year-to-date) much faster than electric van sales are growing (up 4,655 units year-to-date).
Ford Transit Custom extends its lead at the top
To pretty much no-one’s surprise, the popular Ford Transit Custom has topped the monthly LCV sales leaderboard – as it has every month since the year began. The Transit Custom was followed by the larger Transit in seconds and the Renault Trafic in third.
Despite dropping out of the top ten entirely in June, the Vauxhall Vivaro remains the most popular LCV option that isn’t a Ford in the annual rankings, siting in fourth behind the Ford Ranger, which is the UK’s best-selling pickup by a country mile.
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