Society of Motor Producers and Merchants (SMMT) information has proven that mild industrial autos registrations fell to their lowest degree in a decade throughout October.
LCV registrations have been down 18.4% at 22,366 – the worst efficiency for the month since 2012 – as provide shortages continued to limit international manufacturing and availability.
The consequence left October 16.5% behind the pre-pandemic five-year common and the sector down 19.9% year-to-date at 235,962 items.
SMMT chief govt Mike Hawes stated: “The UK’s van market continues to be shackled by provide shortages amid troublesome working circumstances, which is able to doubtless proceed into 2023, easing over the course of the yr.
“Demand for zero emission vans stays sturdy regardless of these challenges, however a profitable internet zero transition would require measures focused at long-term operator confidence.”
Final week AM reported that the UK automotive sector stays on course to deliver its lowest new car registrations total since 1982, regardless of a 26.4% progress in October.
Hybrid and battery electrical autos (EV) drove the year-on-year uplift in automobile registrations to 134,344 items, accelerating volumes on a poor October 2021 when deliveries fell by 24.6% year-on-year, with battery electrical autos (BEV) rising 23.4% to 19,933 and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) by 6.2% to eight,899.
Within the van sector, battery electrical automobile (BEV) rose 52.5% year-on-year in October to symbolize 7.6% of the market – up from 4.1% in the identical month final yr.
Deliveries of the most well-liked giant vans weighing greater than 2.5 tonnes declined by 7.6%, whereas registrations of mid-weight autos weighing as much as 2.5 tonnes fell by 50.7% and people weighing 2.0 tonnes or below by 80.7%, nonetheless.
The efficiency has led the SMMT to downgrade its outlook for full yr 2022 to 290,000 items – down 18.5% on 2021 and 20.8% on 2019.
Whereas the LCV market is predicted to rally in 2023 to 330,000 items, and as much as 351,000 items throughout 2024, these totals would nonetheless be beneath pre-pandemic ranges.
Ford registered the biggest variety of LCVs in October, with its Transit Customized main the registrations league desk, carefully adopted by the Transit.
The Vivaro Electric stays the UK’s best-selling electrical van with 3,254 bought within the first 10 months of the yr.
The success of this mannequin has helped Vauxhall stay the nation’s best-selling e-LCV producer to this point this yr, in addition to being the second biggest-selling LCV producer general.
