Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that the number of light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations for February dropped 4.3% compared to the same month in 2016.
This decline follows the record-high-year of 2016 which saw 375,687 LCVs registered and a modest 1.2% growth in the sale of new vans in January 2017.
However, Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, remains optimistic: “February is typically a quiet month as buyers look ahead to the March plate change and, following the rapidly growing levels of demand we’ve seen over the past two years, a decline is not unexpected.”
The figures released by the SMMT show that a total of 13,291 LCVs were registered in February, compared to 13,891 in the same month last year.
In relation to February 2016, small sub-2.0-tonne vans saw the biggest percentage drop of 28.5%, down to 1,015 units. Demand for 2.0-2.5-tonne vans increased by 9.0% to 2,156, whilst registration of the heaviest 2.5-3.5-tonne vans was down 1.3% to 8,753. The number of pickups registered remained constant at 1,350.
Hawes commented: “The sector remains in good health and, barring any shocks to business confidence, we expect demand to remain strong over the coming months.”
