The UK’s new light commercial vehicle market grew by 4.8% in September, with 49,704 vans, pickups and commercial 4x4s registered during the numberplate-change month.
It was the sixth consecutive month of growth and the largest monthly market of 2026, narrowly beating March’s total.
Large vans led the increase, with registrations rising by 11.1% to 36,302. Medium van demand grew by 2.2% to 7,304 units, while the smallest van segment rose by 13.2% to 1,361.
Across the first nine months of 2026, total light commercial vehicle registrations reached 251,375, up 4.2% from the same period last year, according to figures from the trade body, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders
(SMMT).
Electric van registrations reach new record.
September also produced a record month for electric light commercial vehicles, with 4,832 registrations representing growth of 13.4%.
The headline figure includes 654 battery-electric vehicles weighing between 3.5 and 4.25 tonnes, up by 151.5% from 260 last September, and reflecting the relaxation of driver licence and operator regulations.
Among vans below 3.5 tonnes, eLCV registrations grew by a more modest 4.4% to 4,178.
Electric LCVs accounted for 9.6% of registrations across the expanded market during September and 10.8% during the first nine months of 2026. Both remain well below the headline 24% target set by the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate.
Year-to-date electric LCV registrations have nevertheless increased by 23.7% to 27,359.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said higher vehicle prices, delays to depot connections and a shortage of suitable public charging infrastructure continued to discourage operators from switching.
Transit Custom remains Britain’s favourite van
The Ford Transit Custom was comfortably September’s best-selling light commercial vehicle, recording 8,900 registrations.
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter was a distant second with 3,166 registrations, followed by the full-size Ford Transit on 2,969. The Renault Trafic and Volkswagen Transporter completed the top five with 2,371 and 2,355 registrations respectively.
Ford remained the largest commercial vehicle brand, taking almost 31% of the September market with 15,405 registrations, despite its volume falling by 13.1% year on year.
The Peugeot Partner was the seventh most popular individual model in September, recording 2,170 registrations. Its year-to-date total of 12,231 makes it the UK’s best-selling compact van, accounting for a claimed 22% of that segment.
Kia also registered 843 examples of the electric PV5 Cargo during September, taking its year-to-date total to 4,654. That means the PV5 accounted for about one in five electric van registrations below 3.5 tonnes in both September and year-to-date.
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