There’s no arguing with a set of figures like this: new van registrations rose by 18.4% in May compared to the same period last year, giving the market a welcome boost after April’s pause.

There were substantial gains in every category except the sub-2.0t sector — and as I’ve discussed before, very few new van models actually fit into this category anymore.

Here’s a summary of last month’s new registrations, compared to the same period last year:

Source: SMMT (www.smmt.co.uk)

SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes was bullish on the prospects for van registrations through the rest of the year, saying:

“The van sector rose 18.4% in May, a solid performance that was pleasing to see after a -0.6% blip in registration levels last month. Vans continue to perform in-line with SMMT’s expectations for the year, [ … ] new van introductions should sustain this part of the market.”

As the graph below shows, the van sector (blue line) has staged a strong recovery in demand since the start of 2013, with the rolling year total now up to around 290,000 new vans registered:

Rolling year total van registrations Jan 11 – Apr 14 (courtesy of SMMT)

New models this year

As Mike Hawes commented above, new van model introductions this year could help sustain strong sales. Amongst the new models due to hit showrooms in 2014 are the all-new two-tonne Ford Transit, the new Vauxhall Vivaro and Renault Trafic, new Citroen Relay/Peugeot Boxer and Fiat Ducato and the latest version of the Renault Master.

The Nissan e-NV200 electric van is also due to be launched in June (and should soon be seen in British Gas colours).