UK: July van market hits speed bump as sales dip

It seems the UK’s van market put the brakes on in July, with sales hitting a bit of a pothole. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), only 24,689 new light commercial vehicles joined the roads last month – a drop of 8.5 per cent compared to July 2023. But before you start sounding the alarm bells, remember that last July was a turbocharged month, the best in three years, riding high on 17 straight months of market growth.

Despite the July 2024 slump, the overall market isn’t stalling out just yet. In fact, registrations for the year are up 2.7 per cent so far, making it the best first seven months since 2019. So, while July’s numbers might look like a wrong turn, the market is still cruising along nicely.

UK’s best-selling LCV models in July 2024:

1. Ford Transit Custom - 3,718
2. Ford Transit - 1,744
3. VW Transporter - 1,413
4. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - 1,354
5. Ford Ranger - 1,345
6. Vauxhall Vivaro - 1,225
7. Renault Trafic - 1,178
8. Vauxhall Combo - 844
9. Citroen Berlingo - 735
10. Ford Transit Courier - 708

But not all vans are created equal. The biggest vans saw a 12 per cent drop, with only 16,814 rolling off the lots. These big guys still dominate the market, making up over two-thirds of all sales, but their popularity seems to have taken a hit. Medium-sized vans didn’t fare much better, with registrations slipping by 8.4 per cent. Even pickups and 4x4s couldn’t escape the slowdown, dipping by 5.1 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively.

Reports for previous months:

Record-breaking month sees surge in UK van registrations

UK's new van market continues to deliver record figures in April

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom. The tiniest vans had a field day, with registrations more than doubling to 929 units – a whopping 117.6 per cent jump. Sure, these little guys make up a small slice of the market, but they’ve been punching above their weight all year, with demand up 42 per cent thanks to some shiny new models hitting the streets.

UK’s best-selling LCV models year-to-date:

1. Ford Transit Custom - 25,857
2. Ford Transit - 17,727
3. Ford Ranger - 11,683
4. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - 10,473
5. Vauxhall Vivaro - 9,925
6. Volkswagen Transporter - 9,689
7. Renault Trafic - 8,308
8. Citroen Berlingo - 7,501
9. Ford Transit Connect - 6,936
10. Vauxhall Combo - 6,568

On the green front, battery electric vehicles seem to have run out of juice in July, with a 14.6 per cent drop in registrations. While manufacturers have rolled out 28 new electric models this year (up from 25 last year), fewer fleets decided to go electric. BEVs now make up 5.1 per cent of all new vans, but their popularity is down 7 per cent for the year.