New van registrations fell by 19.8% in April compared to April 2011, according to the latest  figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). This continues the trend we have seen already this year, with van registrations now up just 1.1% on a rolling year basis and down by 15.7% over the year to date.

Truck registrations also followed the pattern of recent months, rising by 17.7% from April 2011 and increasing by 27.4% over the year to date.

This graph shows the changes more clearly:

Graph courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

Van sales continue to decline, while artic sales have levelled off and sales of rigid lorries have continued to rise:

Commenting, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive said:

“The relative strength of the 2011 van market continued to dent 2012 performance with the ‘up to 3.5t’ market dropping 19.8% in the month. Trucks remained strong, up 27.4% for the year-to-date, continuing the steady recovery seen throughout last year. Last month’s CV Show saw the launch of a host of new sophisticated and efficient vehicles that will be important to the sector’s performance through the rest of 2012 and beyond.”

Van sales fell strongly in all weight categories, with the shifting new-model related pattern of fewer sub-2.0t vans and more 2.0t-2.5t vans that I identified last month now becoming a more general decline. This graph shows just how dramatic the fall in van registrations has been, when compared to recent years:

Graph courtesy of SMMT

As I have observed before, van sales appear to be a direct casualty of ongoing weakness in the economy, especially in areas related to small service businesses and discretionary expenditure. The graph above shows clearly how far below historic levels new van registrations have fallen in recent years, meaning that used van values are likely to remain strong, thanks to thin supply.