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Registrations of UK light commercial vehicles rose 5.4% in April, the best performance for the month since 2021.
Deliveries of zero emission LCVs declined last month, with new battery electric van (BEV) uptake falling to 861 units, down -42.4% compared with last year’s uptick in demand.
It means BEVs accounted for 3.6% of all new LCV registrations compared with 6.6% in April last year.
The month traditionally has low registration volumes following new plate March and is therefore subject to volatility, however, such a decline in BEV uptake – just as government targets demand rapid growth – puts green goals at risk.
The SMMT’s industry’s latest market outlook expects the UK’s new van market to grow by 3.3% to 353,000 units this year, while BEV market share has been revised to 8.3%, down from 9.4% in the January outlook.
BEV volumes are still expected to rise by 44.1% in 2024 to 29,000 units, but uptake is set to remain below the ambitious sales targets set for manufacturers in the Vehicle Emissions
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain’s new van market continues to grow with the very latest, more fuel-efficient models driving down CO2 – a core mission for the sector.
“Manufacturers are investing billions to bring electric vehicles to market; however, uptake is slowing and urgent action is needed. If government is serious about delivery of its ambitious targets, it must deploy an equally bold strategy for delivering van-suitable public chargepoints across the UK, now the single most important step to get a greener Britain moving.”