In van-hungry Europe, the Ford Transit has long been just as popular as it is in other parts of the world, and for good reason. Commercial fleet customers in that region are well aware of just how capable and accommodating the Transit is when it comes to all sorts of business-related tasks, and as such, a large variety of entities continue to gravitate toward it. For these reasons, the Ford Transit has long been a regular atop the UK’s commercial sales charts as well, and that was once again the case in September 2024, too.
According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), the Ford Transit was the second best-selling van and light commercial vehicle (LCV) overall in the UK last month after recording 4,518 sales. That placed the Transit behind only its lineup mate, the Transit Custom, which is also the case in regard to year-to-date sales, with the Ford Transit moving 23,517 units through the first nine months of the year. The Transit also moved up from third place in August, when it briefly conceded its runner-up spot to its chief rival, the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter – which tumbled all the way down to sixth last month.
As for the overall LCV market in the UK, sales rose by 8.3 percent last month, producing the best September result in four years. However, EV sales dropped by 0.5 percent – marking the sixth month in 2024 they’ve declined – which doesn’t bode well for the country’s 2024 zero-emissions targets, nor more stricter rules set to take place in the coming years.
“Growing overall demand for new vans is encouraging as the sector, a barometer of the UK economy’s health, continues to recover post Covid,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “But while manufacturers have invested huge sums delivering zero emission technology and incentivizing its sale, consistently low demand is constraining industry from meeting Britain’s ambitious zero emission vehicles sales mandates. For van fleets to go green at pace they need the immediate encouragement – and long-term certainty – of fiscal incentives and van-specific charging infrastructure. Without these, UK decarbonization ambitions cannot be achieved at the world-leading speed demanded by regulation.”
No Comments yet