In van-crazed Europe, the Ford Transit has long been a popular entity, which is also the case in the U.S. In the UK, specifically, the Transit routinely checks in near the top of the sales charts, particularly, in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) segment, where it competes with smaller vans, as well as pickups and other types of vehicles. Regardless, the Ford Transit managed to beat out all of those models but one in the month of July.
According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Ford Transit ranked second in LCV sales in the UK last month at 1,744 units, which places it behind only its lineup-mate, the Ford Transit Custom, which recorded 3,718 sales in July. Aside from beating out all of its direct competitors, the Ford Transit also ranks second through the first seven months of 2024 with 17,727 sales, once again, trailing only the smaller Transit Custom. In the non-commercial side of the business, the Ford Puma was among the top ten best-selling models in the UK last month, too.
As for the overall market, new light commercial vehicle registrations in the UK totaled 24,689 units in July, which is 8.5 percent lower than July 2023 – although year-to-date sales still remain 2.7 percent higher than the first seven months of last year. That breaks a record-equalling 17 consecutive months of growth, but demand remains strong, as year-to-date LCV sales actually represent the best first seven month performance of the year since 2019 in the UK. However, EV van sales declined by 14.6 percent last month, which is a bit concerning for a part of the world that’s keen to transition to pure electrification in the coming years.
“Britain’s new van market remains robust following a record-equalling growth run and, despite a dip in June and July, demand will resume with manufacturers offering impressive product lineups,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Declining uptake of the very greenest models remains a major concern, however, given the UK’s zero emission ambitions. Industry has invested – and continues to commit – billions into this transition but manufacturers cannot deliver this alone. Given the paucity of van-specific charging infrastructure, we need an equally ambitious mandate for chargepoint rollout, one that supports operators right across the country.”
We’ll have more on the Transit soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Transit news and non-stop Ford news coverage.
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