UK demand for electric vans rises – as rest of market stalls
Overall, registrations of new electric vans weighing up to 4.25 tonnes is up 55.1% YoY to 1,413 units, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) . Overall, they reached a market share of 9.7%. However, that falls short of the target set by the ZEV mandate, which stipulates that 16 per cent of vans sold in the UK have to be zero-emission in 2025. There is an ongoing debate in the UK and the government could relax ZEV targets.
This is despite a fall in sales volumes for new light commercial vehicles (LCVs) overall, with demand dropping by -19.3%. According to the report, LCVs witnessed their third consecutive monthly decline with the month’s lowest outturn since 2020.
The SMMT has attributed this growth to a wider range of zero emission vans on the market, as well as the UK government’s ongoing Plug-in Van Grant which provides discounts of approx £2500 on smaller vans. However, the group has called for more to be done in terms of dedicated van charging infrastructure and lowering vehicle excise duty.
“Against an increasingly difficult economic backdrop, van manufacturers have shown resilience, but the decline was perhaps inevitable after two years of strong performance, said Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of SMMT. “Even in a contracting market, however, zero emission uptake is positive but still struggles to match the ambition of regulation. While the ongoing plug-in van grant provides a lifeline, we still need support to bolster operator confidence, boost demand and deliver decarbonisation.”
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