Worst start to a year for UK new LCV market since 2012 

16 February 2026

The UK light-commercial vehicle (LCV) market began 2026 with the lowest registration volume in 14 years. But what were the reasons for this slump, and could promising electric-van sales provide optimism? Andy Picton, specialist residual value analyst at Glass’s, reviews the data with Autovista24 web editor James Roberts.

Following a positive registration month in December, January provided a reversal of fortunes for the UK LCV market. According to SMMT data, deliveries of new LCVs declined by 7.8% in the month. In total, 17,562 vans, chassis, pickups and 4x4s joined UK roads, signalling the weakest start to a year since January 2012. The drop reflects a tough economic environment, with weak business confidence hindering fleet investment.

Amid the drop in demand for LCVs in January, 4x4s emerged as a positive sector. Here registrations rose by 33.9%, to 711 units. Vans and chassis weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) also witnessed an uptick in January. These LCVs saw a 10% increase compared with January 2025. The 12,696 units accounted for 72.3% of all units registered during the month.

However, these gains could not overcome significant declines in other segments. Pickups, vans under 2 tonnes GVW, and vans between 2 and 2.5 tonnes GVW recorded declines of 57%, 39.8% and 27.4%, respectively.

Ford leads as Vauxhall rises 

Ford continued to head UK LCV sales in January. The Transit Custom claimed top spot with 2,740 units. Meanwhile, the Vauxhall Vivaro secured second with 1,374 registrations. The Volkswagen (VW) Transporter took third, recording 1,108 deliveries. The Renault Trafic finished fourth after shifting 795 vehicles, and the Nissan Primastar came fifth with 763 sales.

Ford also rounded out the top six, thanks to the Transit’s 723 sales. This was followed by the Ranger pickup in seventh with 710 units. The Vauxhall Combo ended up eighth with 579 units, ahead of the Land Rover Defender, which achieved a rare top 10 spot. It claimed ninth place with 533 units, followed by the Citroen Berlingo, which closed out the top 10 with 496 units.

Electric LCV uptake continues to grow 

January saw registrations of battery-electric vans up to 4.25 tonnes GVW increase by 26% year on year. The 1,844 units registered resulted in a market share of 10.4%, up from 7.6% in January 2025.

Achieving the 2026 mandated target of 24% remains a massive task. This is despite incentives such as the extension of the Plug-in-Van and Truck Grant and the Depot Charging Scheme. There is also a proposed planning reform for private charger installations.

Operators are under continued pressure to increase their use of battery-electric vans. However, they face major obstacles. This includes high acquisition costs, a scarcity of suitable public charging and inadequate grid connections at depots.

Until this improves, the adoption of all-electric LCVs will grow gradually, not rapidly. The SMMT has called for the government to carry out an urgent review of the electric transition. This is needed to ensure regulatory and supporting measures deliver the required demand without undermining industrial sustainability.

Ford proves electric LCV popularity  

For a second consecutive month, Ford led the electric LCV table. The brand accounted for 26.3% of all new all-electric vans registered in January. VW followed with a 25.1% market share, while Kia took third with its PV5 model, claiming an 11.7% slice.

Mercedes-Benz achieved a 7.6% market share, taking fourth. Toyota came fifth with 6.1% of the market. Maxus and Vauxhall finished joint sixth with 96 units and a 5.2% share. Eighth was Renault with a 3.7% share. Peugeot ended the month in ninth, thanks to a 2.7% share. Renault Trucks rounded out the top 10 with a 1.6% share.

By range, the Ford E-Transit Custom led the way, accounting for 20.4% of all registrations. The VW e-Transporter and ID.Buzz Cargo finished second and third, with a 12.7% and 12.4% share respectively.

The plug-in hybrid van segment saw Ford, LEVC, Toyota and VW register a combined 1,086 units. Ford led the way with 578 Transit Custom, 275 Ranger and 79 Transit Connect plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) sold. This equated to a dominant 85.8% share of the PHEV LCV market in January. Toyota followed with 118 Corolla Commercials, then came VW with 34 Caddy PHEVs, while LEVC added 2 VN5 PHEV vans.

Used-LCV market brings glimmer of hope 

A trend of robust used-LCV demand, which was established last year, has prevailed into 2026. Any vehicle requiring minimal preparation attracts super-strong bids at auction. This shortage of quality, ready-to-retail stock has resulted in ever-increasing prices being paid. Meanwhile, those requiring replacement parts and repairs have seen profits eroded by increased labour and parts prices.

January saw continued demand for chassis-based dropside, tipper and Luton box derivatives. Demand for 4×4 pickups increased as businesses moved away from buying new models following changes to benefit-in-kind and capital allowances.

Demand for late-year plated pickups is slower, while four-to-eight-year-old stock seems to be hitting the sweet spot with buyers. Medium and large panel vans between four and eight years old are still highly sought after. Well-maintained examples are keenly fought after. Over-supply of stock, especially up to two years of age, is a challenge. Interest is limited to the very best models on offer.

New year bounce for used LCV prices 

The return to a full working month and the start of a new year saw sales at auction increase by 56.7%. This is compared with the shorter working month of December. Meanwhile, the average age of units sold fell 0.1 months to 69.4 months. Average mileage increased from 74,078 miles to 76,769 miles.

Average sales prices paid increased 0.3% over the month. However, first-time conversion rates fell 8 percentage points (pp) to 76.3%. This was the lowest point since February last year.

In January, Euro 6 vehicles accounted for 83.3% of sales, while Euro 5 saw an increase to 13.9%. Medium vans led demand with nearly 38% of sales. Then followed large vans with a 28.1% share and small vans with 21.1%. The 4×4 pickup sector took 12.8% of the market, a decrease of 0.6pp compared with December. However, the segment commanded the highest average sales price at nearly £14,805.

Large vans covered more distance than any other vehicle type in January at an average of 87,102 miles. This was up by over 6,300 miles on the previous month.

Positive used electric LCV sales in January 

Sales of used electric vans improved 14.4% in January, even though the average age increased by 1.6 months to 34.2 months. Average mileage fell from 20,500 miles to 17,848 miles, along with first-time conversion rates, which fell from 74.7% to 67.4%. These fluctuations meant that the average sale price fell by a nominal 0.4% to just over £10,600.

The medium van sector accounted for 64.2% of all used sales in January. Small vans made up 31.5%, and the large van sector 4.3%. The highest mileages were covered in the medium van sector, which averaged over 18,900 miles, down 4,300 miles from December. The lowest mileages were noted in the large van sector at under 2,350 miles.

Large electric vans attained the highest average sales price, reaching over £16,500. The highest first-time conversion rate of 75% was also achieved in the large van sector. Just under 49% of all electric vans sold in January were between two and four years old.

Used LCV retail static 

The number of used vehicles observed for sale in the retail market remained static in January. Almost 40,400 units were sold, with diesel models making up the bulk of these at 89.2%. This was down 0.5pp compared to 12 months prior. Battery-electric LCVs accounted for 6.2% of sales, ahead of plug-in hybrids at 2.4% and petrol vehicles at 1.9%. LCVs with manual gearboxes accounted for 65.6% of the total.

Panel vans accounted for 55.3% of all LCVs on sale, 14.1% were 4×4 pickups, and 9.4% were crew vans. Minibuses held a 4.6% share, followed by dropsides at 1.8%, tippers at 1.7%, and Luton vans at 1.3%. Of all the LCVs on sale, 70.2% had mileages of 70,000 miles or under, while 13.7% had mileages exceeding 100,000 miles.

Of all vehicles listed, 42.9% were priced at £20,000 or more, while 36.9% were priced between £10,000 and £20,000. Just 16.5% sat in the £5,000 to £10,000 range. Those priced below £5,000 remained unchanged at 4.1%. Just under 24% of all adverts showed the vehicle on sale for a price inclusive of VAT.

White vans led in popularity, accounting for 48.6% of all listings. Meanwhile, grey accounted for 17.8%, black with 10.5%, silver 9.8%, blue 6.4%, and red 2.1% followed. The average vehicle age for January remained static at 55 months, while average mileage remained at 55,100 miles.