September light commercial vehicle registrations fell 39.5% in September on the back of the continued semiconductor shortage.
A total of 31,535 vans were registered last month – the lowest level since September 2009 when the market was suffering from the recession brought on by the financial crisis. In fact, compared to the pre-pandemic five-year September average, the sector was down 41.8%.
All segments saw double-digit declines, bar 4x4s. The largest fall of 70.1% was seen for vans weighing between 2.0-2.5 tonnes. Vans in the 2.5-3.5 tonnes sector – which accounted for the majority of the market – were down 28.0% while light vans weighing less than or equal to 2.0 tonnes fell by 54.6%.
It’s a more positive picture for the year-to-date; new van uptake remains up 28.4% for the first nine months of the year although it was down 5.9% on the five-year pre-pandemic average. Uptake of heavier vans has also performed well year-on-year – up 39.3%, equating to more than 51,000 additional units registered in the YtD.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “September was a disappointing month for new van registrations, as the much-documented semiconductor shortage has started to impact supply. Manufacturers are doing all they can to fulfil orders and, after a strong year so far, demand still remains high. With businesses continuing to renew their fleets, there is a greater choice than ever of new zero-emission models coming to market, helping ensure the commercial vehicle sector plays its part in decarbonising road transport.”
Vauxhall, which offers an electric van across its entire LCV line-up, said it’s now the best-selling e-LCV manufacturer, after selling 1,828 units year-to-date. Its sales success so far this year has been underpinned by the all-electric Vivaro-e, which has a WLTP range of up to 205 miles and a maximum payload of up to 1,226kg.
The Combo-e and Movano-e are also now on sale and start deliveries shortly, in line with Vauxhall’s goal of only offering fully electric cars and vans in the UK by 2028.
Vauxhall is also adding the Vivaro-e Hydrogen to its all-electric van range from early 2023.
Paul Willcox, managing director, Vauxhall, said: “As a British brand, I’m proud to see Vauxhall is leading the electrification of the UK van market with our multiple award-winning Vivaro-e. Vauxhall is all about democratising access to electrified vehicles and, with the all-new Combo-e and all-new Movano-e now available to order, we offer an all-electric version of each of our vans, further helping to reduce in-use emissions and bring the lower running costs and user experience of driving electric to even more businesses.”
