UK light commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations recorded their fifth consecutive month of decline in May, falling -25.1% to 22,000 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Although the fall is amplified in comparison with last year, which saw the highest May registrations total in history, the market was still some -21.5% below the pre-pandemic average.
All segments saw a fall in volumes during the month, although larger vans weighing more than 2.5 tonnes were less impacted, with a decline of -19.4%. Medium vans weighing greater than 2.0 to 2.5 tonnes declined by -33.4%. The largest fall was recorded in the 4×4 sector (-80.7%), although this is a low volume segment subject to volatility.
Some 869 battery electric vans (BEV) were registered in the month – 276 more than last May. BEV registrations for the year to date are 62.7% higher than last year, due in part down to significant large fleet orders delivered earlier in the year. As a result, over the year to date, overall BEV market share has more than doubled to 5.2% – testament to the growing choice provided by manufacturers, with one in three models now available as a plug-in. There is certainly room for further growth in this area, with electric vans accounting for just one in 20 new registrations, and around one in 180 in use.
Meanwhile, new car registrations fell -20.6% to 124,394 units in the second weakest May since 1992. The decline, compared with the first full month of reopened showrooms in May last year, demonstrates the impact of continued global supply chain disruptions, with the market -32.3% below the 2019 pre-pandemic level despite strong order books.
May saw registrations of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rise by 17.7%, representing one in eight new cars joining the road last month. Plug-in hybrids declined -25.5%, while hybrids were up 12.0%, meaning deliveries of electrified vehicles accounted for three in 10 new cars.
