Latest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) data shows that the overall market fell 2.9% last month to 33,999 units following a strong performance in October 2014. However, demand remained positive year to date, with registrations up 16.7% to 355,301 units.
The van market remained strong, with demand up 6.2% compared with October 2014. Year to date, a total of 312,369 new vans have been registered – 16.3% more than this time last year, and fuelled by increasing business confidence and the ever-growing popularity of online shopping.
Truck registrations were down 31.5% for October but up by nearly a fifth (19.8%) in the year-to-date, with 42,932 new vehicles registered in the first 10 months. The SMMT added that the October drop was due to an unprecedented spike in heavy duty demand last October, coinciding with the introduction of the Euro 6 emissions standard.
Mike Hawes, chief executive, SMMT, said: “The van and truck market remains strong, with remarkable growth across all commercial vehicle types so far this year. The rise in demand for vans demonstrates an ongoing trend as more consumers choose the convenience of home delivery.
“Meanwhile, following an exceptionally strong October in 2014, it’s no surprise to see a decline in last month’s truck market. To put this into context, at 5,791 registrations, this October’s performance is more than double the average monthly total of 2,720 delivered by the market since 2001.”
