New light commercial vehicle registrations increased 5.0% in August but remain down year to date.
The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show a total of 16,394 vans were registered last month, traditionally a small month for registrations ahead of the plate change.
Pickups experienced the largest rise in the month, up 21.4.%, while demand for large vans saw a 14.6% increase to take over two-thirds (67.2%) of all van registrations. Meanwhile, it was a different picture for small and medium sized vans which fell 9.3% and 29.7% respectively. Registrations of rigids were up 52.7%,
Year-to-date registrations are down 2.2%, with 220,399 new LCVs joining British roads so far this year, as fluctuating registrations caused by variations in fleet buying cycles and business confidence continue to affect the market. Registrations for rigids increased 31.4%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “August is typically one of the quietest months for new LCV registrations, so the increase in demand for these high-tech, ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles is especially welcome news. While year-to-date figures show the market remains at a reasonably high level, weak business confidence and uncertainty means fluctuations in demand will likely continue throughout year.”
