Light commercial vehicle registrations rose by 22.0% in July, as electric van uptake reached a record monthly market share.
The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
show 28,578 new vans, pickups and 4x4s joined UK roads during the month.
It was the fourth consecutive month of growth for the LCV market, taking year-to-date registrations to 187,226 units, up 4.3% on the first seven months of 2025.
Large vans continued to dominate the market, with registrations of vehicles in the 2.5-3.5 tonne sector up 29.9% to 20,842 units. Medium vans, between 2.0 and 2.5 tonnes, rose 20.7% to 4,993 units, while small vans under 2.0 tonnes increased 11.8% to 825 units.
Battery electric van registrations also delivered a strong result, rising 74.1% in July. BEVs took a record 14.7% share of the market during the month, while year-to-date market share reached double digits for the first time, at 10.6%.
That remains well short of the 24% target required under the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, underlining the continued gap between regulatory ambition and real-world operator demand.
The latest SMMT market outlook has been revised upwards, but the organisation expects the current growth spurt to ease. It predicts 316,000 new LCV registrations in 2026, representing a marginal 0.2% increase over last year.
Electric van growth is expected to continue outpacing the wider market, with BEVs forecast to account for 11.5% of registrations in 2026 and 15.9% in 2027. Even then, uptake would remain around two years behind mandate ambition.
The SMMT says higher upfront costs, insufficient charging infrastructure and rising operator pressures continue to influence purchasing decisions.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Continued van market growth shows operator resilience and sustained sector investment, while record battery electric van uptake is encouraging, proving businesses will switch if business conditions are right.
“However, multiple barriers are constraining the market – high capital expenditure costs, infrastructure challenges and, for pick-ups, fiscal disincentives. Rapid revisions to regulation and taxation are required urgently to spur the commercial vehicle fleet renewal essential to the achievement of net zero.”
The National Franchised Dealers Association also pointed to a resilient but uneven market.
Sue Robinson, chief executive of the NFDA, said: “July’s figures point to a resilient LCV market, with registrations continuing to move in the right direction. Despite ongoing cost pressures for businesses, demand across core areas of the commercial vehicle sector remains encouraging.”
Robinson added that growth in electric van registrations was welcome, but said uptake still needed to accelerate if the sector was to close the gap to this year’s ZEV Mandate target.
“The latest data underlines the uneven nature of the recovery, with some segments performing more strongly than others,” she said. “While challenges remain, the broader direction of travel for the market is positive.”
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