Like many businesses, the new van market here in the UK has gone through difficult times so it is nice to see that the number of new vans sold continues to increase when you look at the figures for May 2024 in comparison to the same month in the previous year. Presumably, some of these new vans will have been purchased by courier firms both large and small.

According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the number of new vans registered here in the UK in May 2024 in the up to 3.5 tonnes categories amounted to 25,853. The number of such Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs) sold in May 2023 amounted to 25,359. This equates to a small increase of 1.9% but nevertheless it is a rise.

The category with the biggest increase in percentage terms was in the new vans up to 2.0 tonnes with 730 being sold in May 2024 compared to 469 in May 2023. That is a rise of 55.7%.

On a year to date basis to May 2024, the figures also make for positive reading. For this period in the new vans sold up to 3.5 tonnes category there were 144,554 sold compared to 135,296 for the same period to May 2023. That is a positive increase of 6.8%.

The category with the biggest rise in percentage terms was also in the new vans up to 2.0 tonnes with 2,947 being sold on a year to date basis to May 2024 compared to 2,363 on a year to date basis to May 2023. That is a rise of 24.7%.

The sale of new Battery Electric Vans (BEVs) in May 2024 amounted to 1,077 compared to 1,041 in May 2023 – an increase of 3.5%. Market share rose from 4.1% in May 2023 to 4.2% in May 2024. On a year to date basis to May 2024 the sale of new BEVs amounted to 6,877 compared to 7,028 for the same period last year – a drop of 2.1%. Market share fell from 5.2% to 4.8%. The market share for new diesel vans on a year to date basis for both May 2023 and May 2024 remained at 92.6% with 133,798 new diesel vans being sold on a year to date basis to May 2024 compared to 125,300 for the same period last year – a rise of 6.8%.

The top 3 selling new vans in May 2024 in the UK were: –

1. Ford Transit Custom 3,189
2. Ford Transit 2,505
3. Ford Ranger 2,130

It is interesting to see that Ford held the top 3 places for new van registrations in the UK in May 2024.