The UK van market has made a strong start to 2014, with new registrations rising by 12.9% in January, compared the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT):
UK van and truck registrations: 2014 and % change on 2013
| January | % change | Year-to-date | % change | Rolling year | % change | |
| Vans | 18,122 | 12.9% | 18,122 | 12.9% | 273,146 | 13.2% |
| Trucks | 1,817 | -37.0% | 1,817 | -37.0% | 55,153 | 22.6% |
| Total | 19,939 | 5.3% | 19,939 | 5.3% | 328,299 | 14.6% |
Data courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)
Demand was particularly strong in the large van (2.5t – 3.5t) sector, where registrations rose by 27.1%, from 8,084 in January 2013 to 10,274 this year.
Commenting on the figures, Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said that he was confident about the outlook for van demand in 2014:
“The overall commercial vehicle market grew 4.4% in January as more robust business confidence boosted van registrations. Looking ahead, SMMT is confident that van registrations will continue to grow at a sustainable rate, while truck demand should level out over the full year.”
As the graph below shows, demand for all categories of commercial vehicle finally started to pick up towards the end of last year. The sudden surge in truck demand is linked to the introduction of Euro 6 in January — as hauliers rushed to buy Euro 5 vehicles while they were still available.
SMMT commercial vehicle registrations Jan 2010 – 2014 (courtesy of SMMT).
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