- Despite a continual drop in new registrations across the van sector as a whole in the UK, electric van appetite is bucking the trend.
- Last April, electric van registrations saw a 77.5% year-on-year increase compared to April 2024, displaying a clear increase in demand for electric vans from tradespeople and businesses.
- However, industry is still calling for further changes to van policy, to boost electric van adoption over the next decade.
Electric van sales continue to rise in the UK
The new monthly figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that in April last month, 1,686 fully-electric light commercial vehicles (up to 4.25 tonnes) were registered, compared to 950 registrations in April of 2024 – marking a 77.5% year-on-year rise. The latest registrations also bring the year-to-date registration figures for fully-electric vans up to 8,778, compared to 6,167 by the same period last year. The UK market now has nearly 40 different electric van models on the market, helping driving this new sales high, and yet more newcomers are on the way.
Whilst these latest figures are promising for rising electric van adoption in the months and years to come, overall BEV market share within the LCV sector still remains at 8.3%, with SMMT forecasting this market share to rise to 9.1% by the end of 2025. This is still below the BEV LCV target of 16% mandated for manufacturers to reach by the end of the year, to avoid fines.
The SMMT has called for transportation depots to be given priority when it comes to grid connections, encouraging more fleets to switch to electric vans. The implementation of clean air zones across the UK over the last few years are already having a positive impact on electric van adoption, however, according to recent research.
Mike Hawes, Chief Executive at the SMMT, commented on the new figures:
“Five months of shrinking demand for new vans reflects weaker business confidence and a challenging economic environment. Such conditions discourage fleet upgrades into new zero emission technology, meaning older, more polluting vehicles stay on the road longer. Switching must have clear commercial benefits, so the sector needs bold and assertive action if ambitious mandate targets are to be met. Preferential treatment for grid connections, more affordable energy and consistent local planning – all are needed to make the case for going electric unarguable.”
It wasn’t just electric vans that saw strong growth last month, with SMMT’s figures for electric passenger cars painting a similar picture, with electric car sales rising whilst the overall car market dropped.
