UK registrations of new light commercial vehicles (LCVs) declined by -22.2% in November, with 23,570 vans, pickups and 4x4s joining the road, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The fall continued a contraction in fleet renewal across 2025, with -11.4% fewer registrations than the same 11-month period last year.
November saw demand fall in every LCV segment, with large vans down -19.7% to 16,463 units – albeit still representing the majority (69.8%) of the overall market. Medium-sized vans fell by -20.5% to 3,976 units, while registrations of new 4x4s and small-sized vans also shrank, by -10.3% and -53.8% to 705 and 462 units, respectively.
More positively, registrations of new battery electric vans (BEVs) returned to growth, up 25.3% to 2,909 units, accounting for 12.3% of the overall market – 2025’s highest monthly share. Growth has been impressive across the year, up 44.7% compared with the same period in 2024, with 27,159 registrations. Despite this performance, the year-to-date BEV market share stands at 9.4%.
Commenting on the latest data, Toby Poston, BVRLA Chief Executive said: “Fleets are leading this transition. The data shows that when the right support and confidence is in place, they can make the switch. The surge in BEV van uptake offers green shoots of optimism but the sector remains beset by barrier upon barrier. The helpful regulatory changes we’ve seen recently around vans over 4.25t should accelerate this momentum but there is a long way to go.
“Positive progress remains fragile though, for vans and cars alike. The recent confirmation of a pay-per-mile regime for electric cars is the wrong policy at the wrong time. It risks completely undermining the confidence that has been built, particularly for operators making long-term investment decisions.”
Meanwhile, the UK new car market declined slightly in November as new registrations fell by -1.6% to 151,154 units. The sixth fall this year was driven by a -5.5% decline in overall demand from private buyers. Fleet uptake edged up 0.2%, while business buyer volumes – traditionally a small part of the market – rose 18.0%.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) uptake, rose to reach 26.4% share of the market, just ahead of the 25.1% achieved in November last year. However, with volumes rising just 3.6%, this represented the weakest month for BEV growth in almost two years. Hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uptake rose slightly by 1.3% to comprise 13.1% of the market. The fastest growth was recorded by plug-in hybrids, up 14.8% and accounting for 11.9% of registrations.
As a result, electrified vehicles achieved a record market share for the year of 51.4%, with petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles recording their third consecutive month as a minority of registrations. Although BEV registrations are now at record volumes – with 426,209 joining the road in the last 11 months – their 22.7% year-to-date market share still falls short of the 28% annual government target.
