According to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, the UK’s new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market declined by -23.5% last month.
Registrations of small and medium vans were up, but larger vans, pickups and 4x4s are all down. 41,216 LCVs were registered in September, down 12,632 units year-on-year.
Overall performance for LCV registrations for the year to date is healthy, up 4.5% year-on-year. September’s losses follow a period of sustained growth, with LCV registrations rising in every month of 2019 to August.
The UK car market saw modest year-on-year growth in September, up 1.3%, against an overall annual decline, down -2.5% compared to this time last year.
September’s volumes were driven by the fleet sector, which grew 8.6%. Whilst private demand remained stable, up 0.1%, business registrations declined by -44.8%.
Diesel registrations fell -20.3%, as petrol vehicles experienced a moderate increase of 4.5%. Battery electric cars (BEVs), saw the biggest percentage growth of all fuel types, up 236.4% (5,414 units) as new models boosted registrations.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) also saw growth for the first time in six months – albeit on the back of a -22.3% decline in the same month last year.