Ford dominates Top 3 LCV slots
August is not traditionally a good month for new vans registrations but the new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market saw its second best August on record with 20,582 registrations and compared to the pre-pandemic five year average, the industry recorded a 21.1% increase in new registrations.
August 2020 v August 2021
Of the volume sectors in the LCV market, Pickups saw the largest increase, going up 9.8% compared to the same month last year. If we are talking strictly vans, then vehicles between 2.5t GVW and 3.5t GVW saw the largest increase at 7% compared to August 2020 registering 14,159 vans as demand for construction and on-line shopping continues. Light vans weighing 2 tonnes or less had a major decline of -23.3%. Notable but atypical growth was seen in the 4×4 market, up 522.6% as a result of new models entering the market in the traditionally small segment. This is evident if you look at the August 2020 registrations which were only 31 units!
While year to date registrations remain some -4.0% below 2019’s record levels3, 2021 is proving to be a bumper year for van uptake, up some 2.6% on the five-year average.4 However, the semi-conductor shortage has impacted CV manufacturing both in the UK – where output is currently down -21.3% on the pre-pandemic average – and overseas, meaning the sector faces the same ongoing supply challenges already much reported in the new car market.
Best Sellers August 2021
The LCV team at Ford of Britain must be extremely pleased after reading the registrations figures for August 2021, which had all top three positions taken up by Ford product. The Transit Custom took pole position with 3,592 units, second was the Transit with 2,161 and perhaps the most surprising, was the Ranger taking third position with 1,776 units, just pipping the Sprinter with 1,654 units.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said,
"This year has proved to be one of the best ever for new van registrations, buoyed by strong demand and growing confidence as the economy continues to open up. The impact of the semi-conductor shortage on manufacturing is affecting commercial vehicle production, however, even if it is not immediately apparent in the registration figures. With even more new zero emission models coming to market, the choices available for fleet renewal are increasing rapidly, which can play a significant role in helping the UK meet its ambitious emissions reduction targets"
