It’s no secret that commercial customers in Europe and the UK have long gravitated toward vans as their workhorses of choice, as that simple fact is reflected in the sales charts – month after month, year after year. In the UK, specifically, the Ford Transit Custom is an ultra-popular entity, as it closed out the first half of the year as that country’s best-selling van and light commercial vehicle overall, a feat that it repeated in July. Now that August is over, nothing has changed in that regard, either.
According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the Ford Transit Custom recorded 2,090 sales last month, which gives it a healthy 559 unit lead over the second-place Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. That also means that Ford Transit Custom retains its robust stranglehold on LCV sales in the UK year-to-date, increasing that tally to 27,947 units with a few months to go.
As for the overall market, new light commercial vehicle registrations grew by 1.7 percent in August versus July – to 16,575 units – that segment’s best monthly performance since 2021. SMMT notes that demand for all van segments continues to grow, though commercial customers are not quite as keen to purchase pickups or all-electric models. In fact, LCV EV sales dropped for the fifth straight month – this time, by a whopping 30.3 percent – which is a bad sign for a country that’s aiming to achieve zero-emissions in the coming years.
“A return to growth for Britain’s new van sector is encouraging as the market continues its post-Covid recovery,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Manufacturers continue to produce a range of new models, with many of these zero emission. However, such a significant and sustained drop in demand for electric vans is of deep concern given the ambitious and mandated sales targets required this year and beyond. There is a pressing need to stimulate operator confidence which means providing long term certainty over the Plug-in Van Grant, maintaining fiscal incentives, and accelerating the rollout of van-suitable charging infrastructure. Without these measures, the ability of the UK to meet its net zero goals while driving economic growth will be put under pressure.”
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