Van registrations rose by 28.2% in February, compared to February 2013, according to the latest figures from the SMMT.
The gains in the light commercial vehicle sector build on January’s gains and mean that total commercial vehicle registrations rose by 17.5% last month, despite a 27.3% fall in truck registrations, as the heavy goods market continues to sag after last year’s pre-Euro VI sales boost.
UK commercial vehicle registrations Jan 2010 – Feb 2014 (courtesy of SMMT)
The growth in van registrations means that UK van sales have risen by 18.5% so far this year, compared to the same period in 2013.
UK van and truck registrations: 2014 and % change on 2013
| February | % change | Year-to-date | % change | Rolling year | % change | |
| Vans | 11,731 | 28.2% | 29,853 | 18.5% | 275,728 | 13.8% |
| Trucks | 1,589 | -27.3% | 3,406 | -32.8% | 54,555 | 22.4% |
| Total | 13,320 | 17.5% | 33,259 | 9.9% | 330,283 | 15.1% |
Data courtesy of SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)
Gains in the van market were concentrated in the 2.0t – 2.5t (up 111%) and 2.5t – 3.5t (up 23.8%) categories, as these figures show:
| Month | Feb-14 | Feb-13 | % change |
| Pickups | 943 | 1,047 | -9.9% |
| 4x4s | 170 | 131 | 29.8% |
| Vans <= 2.0t | 1,499 | 1,494 | 0.3% |
| Vans > 2.0 – 2.5t | 2,664 | 1,262 | 111.1% |
| Vans > 2.5 – 3.5t | 6,455 | 5,215 | 23.8% |
| All vans to 3.5t | 11,731 | 9,149 | 28.2% |
These gains are encouraging, as medium and large vans are the workhorses of the economy — businesses in all sectors will experience a rise in demand for such vehicles as the economy picks up.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, says that he expects more of the same as the year continues:
“Growing van registrations supported the February vehicle market as middle and heavy-weight vans enjoyed healthy rises, reflecting improving economic activity,” said Mike Hawes SMMT Chief Executive. “Registrations of trucks over six tonnes continued to decline as the market adjusts to new Euro-6 legislation. We anticipate this rebalancing act to be a factor for some months yet, while van volumes should remain on an upward trend.”
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