Light commercial vehicle registrations declined in April, falling 18.8% to 22,625 units, according to figures released by the SMMT.
Declines were seen across all van segments, with demand for vans under 2.0 tonnes down 37.5%, while vans weighing 2.5-3.5 tonnes fell 23.1%. The medium sized van market, however, remained broadly stable, dipping just 0.2%.
In contrast, pickup demand continued the upward trend, rising 4.5% in April.
Overall year-to-date registrations were down 4.9%, with demand for vans under 2.0 tonnes down 29.7% although smaller declines of 0.5% and 2.8% were seen for vans in the 2.0-2.5 tonnes and 2.5-3.5 tonnes categories. Pickup demand was up 17.6% YTD.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “April is traditionally a small month for new LCV registrations following the plate-change in March and, coming on the back of double-digit growth that resulted in a record April in 2016, this month’s decline comes as no surprise. Overall, the market remains robust, however, and so long as business confidence among operators can be maintained, we expect to see the market remain at what is a historically high level over the course of the year.”
