In van-hungry Europe and the UK, The Blue Oval has long dominated the light commercial vehicle (LCV) market, and no model in its lineup sells in larger quantities than the Ford Transit Custom. In fact, the Ford Transit Custom was the best-selling van and LCV in the UK in the entirety of 2023, and it wasn’t even close. The Transit Custom followed that up by topping the sales charts through each month of 2024 as well, making it no surprise that the van once again ranked first in that regard last year, too.
According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT), the Ford Transit Custom once again ranked first in the UK LCV market in December 2024 with 3,715 sales, beating the second-place Vauxhall Vivaro by nearly 2,000 units. The Transit Custom also took the crown as the best-selling van and LCV in 2024 as a whole with a dominant 46,967 sales – a little over 15k more than the second-place Transit. Given Ford’s struggles in the passenger vehicle market across Europe and the UK lately, it’s no surprise that it intends to focus largely on the highly-successful commercial Ford Pro business moving forward.
As for the overall UK LCV market, it rose by three percent to 351,834 units in 2024 thanks to 27,221 new LCV registrations in December alone – its best performance since 2021. In terms of individual segments, large vans increased by 2.1 percent to a 66.3 percent market share, while small/medium vans grew by 12.3 percent to account for 44.5 of the market, though 4x4s declined by 9.7 percent and pickups dropped by 8.3 percent. As for EV vans, sales grew by 3.3 percent, though they accounted for just 6.3 percent of the market – the same as 2023.
“Vans, 4x4s, and pickups keep businesses everywhere on the move, making this sector a barometer of the UK economy,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “The best overall volume in three years, therefore, is good news with van makers striving to deliver abundant and competitive EV choice. Buyer confidence, however, will inevitably be undermined when charging infrastructure does not meet the needs of fleet operations. A review of EV regulation is crucial, therefore, to reflect current market realities and ensure ambitions are deliverable, without any negative and costly consequences.”
No Comments yet