The latest SMMT figures reveal a record high for van and truck
registrations.
A total of 108,456
vans and trucks were registered between January and March 2015 - the best
quarter on record.
The sector is a bellwether
for the UK economy. It suffered during the recession. In 2009, just 221,132 commercial
vehicles (CVs) were registered - down from 388,488 in 2007. The past 12 months
have seen 384,120 registrations, and demand is expected to remain strong in the
months ahead.
Some CV operators
are returning to the market having held off new purchases during the recession
years while attractive finance offerings from manufacturers are making it
easier to invest in the latest vehicles.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, noted, "Commercial vehicles play a crucial role in the
British economy and in supporting our everyday lives. There are currently some
4.4 million vans and trucks on British roads, delivering 81 per cent of all
goods and shifting almost 3,000 tonnes of goods every minute. In 2014 alone,
these vehicles covered 61 billion miles in the UK.”
Demand for vans is
strong as home deliveries continue to grow in popularity: 97,775 vans have been
registered in the past three months - 22.3 per cent up on the same period last
year - and annual registrations are now nearing an all-time high.
The UK is also
leading the way in Europe. It is the third-biggest market for vans and trucks,
and surpassed its two larger rivals, Germany (+3.4 per cent) and France (-8.1
per cent), for growth in the first two months of the year.
Since 2014, all new
trucks have been required to meet Euro-6.
The SMMT says: “These vehicles feature
filters to capture 99 per cent of particulates and exhaust after treatment
systems which drastically reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. From September
this year, all new vans will also have to adhere to the tough Euro-6 standard
for light duty vehicles.”
UK van registrations so far in 2015:
Top 10
Model
|
Registrations
|
|
1
|
. Ford Transit Custom
|
12,627
|
2
|
. Vauxhall Vivaro
|
7,449
|
3
|
. Volkswagen Transporter
|
5,765
|
4
|
. Peugeot Partner
|
5,611
|
5
|
. Ford Transit
|
5,276
|
6
|
. Citroen Berlingo
|
5,207
|
7
|
. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
|
5,012
|
8
|
. Ford Transit Connect
|
4,096
|
9
|
. Renault Trafic
|
3,368
|
10
|
. Peugeot Boxer
|
2,844
|
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