The Ford Transit Custom has always been a popular vehicle among commercial shoppers in places like Europe and the UK, where fleets tend to gravitate toward vans, rather than pickups, as is the case in the U.S. In fact, the Transit Custom has long been a regular at the top of the sales charts in both of those places, and that successful run has only continued following the debut of the all-new, redesigned version. Thus, it’s no surprise to learn that the Ford Transit Custom once again topped the van and overall light commercial vehicle sales charts in the UK in October 2024, too.
After ranking first in light commercial vehicle (LCV) sales in September and months prior, it comes as no surprise to see the Ford Transit Custom once again in the top spot for the month of October, as we can see from this recent data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT). This time around, the Transit Custom ranked first in both van and LCV sales by moving 3,400 units last month, and it also held onto its year-to-date lead with 38,917 units sold through the first ten months of the year – giving it a substantial lead over the second-place Transit.
As for the overall LCV market, its sales increased by 2.4 percent month-over-month to 26,974 units, its best October result in three years, as well as the third consecutive month of overall market growth. That uptick was fueled by small and medium vans, which were up 55.9 percent and 49.6 percent to 683 and 5,688 units, respectively, while large vans were down 2.7 percent to 17,683 units, and pickups and 4x4s also declined, by 18.9 percent and 62 percent to 2,686 and 234 units, respectively. All-electric van sales rose for the first time in five months as well, by 61.8 percent to 2,263 units.
“The continued growth in demand for new vans is encouraging given this sector is a barometer of the health of Britain’s businesses,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Industry has invested huge sums delivering cutting-edge technology, including zero emission vehicles, but low demand raises serious doubt over the ability of the UK to achieve its ambitious green targets. There must be an urgent review of the market, regulation and support in place, else the cost will soon be felt in reduced UK investment, economic growth, jobs and decarbonisation.
No Comments yet