Minimal boost to UK LCV market amid challenging economic backdrop
16 March 2026
The UK’s light-commercial vehicle (LCV) market recorded a slight improvement in February, as electric van volumes also increased. But is this a reason for optimism? Andy Picton, specialist residual value analyst at Glass’s, assesses the data with Autovista24 web editor James Roberts.
The UK’s LCV market saw marginal growth of 1.1% in February. In total, 14,641 vans, chassis, pickups and 4x4s joined UK roads in the month, according to the latest SMMT data.
This was the sector’s second monthly increase since November, following a 12-month cycle of decline. Despite this improvement, the level of registrations reflected a tough economic environment. This was compounded by weak business confidence, which continued to affect fleet investment.
The large van sector drove the market’s marginal growth. Vans weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) saw deliveries grow by 7.6%, compared with February 2025. These 10,719 units accounted for 73.2% of all new van registrations in the month.
The 4×4 sector recorded a registration increase of 64%, while vans between 2 and 2.5 tonnes GVW grew by 16.9%. Meanwhile, the pickup sector and vans under 2 tonnes GVW witnessed declines of 54.9% and 15%, respectively.
Four Fords in the top 10
Ford models occupied four of the top 10 positions. The Transit Custom claimed top spot with 2,433 units, and the Ford Transit followed with 1,675. The Ford Ranger pickup finished eighth, with its 475 units accounting for 58.4% of all pickups registered in the month. The Ford Transit Connect claimed 10th with 408 units.
The Vauxhall Vivaro claimed third, recording 872 deliveries. The Peugeot Partner and the Citroen Berlingo finished in seventh and ninth, with 536 units and 438 units, respectively. Outside the top three, the Renault Trafic ended the month in fourth, shifting 782 vehicles. This was ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in fifth with 751 deliveries. The Volkswagen (VW) Transporter claimed sixth with 722 units.
Will electrified LCV growth be gradual?
February saw battery-electric van volumes up to 4.25 tonnes GVW surge 42.2%, compared with 12 months prior. The 2,009 units registered resulted in a monthly market share of 13.5%, up from 9.7% in February 2025.
Despite continued increases, achieving the 2026 mandated target of 24% remains a considerable task. Incentives may help boost electric uptake. This includes the extension of the Plug-in Van and Truck Grant, the Depot Charging Scheme, plus proposed planning reform for private charger installations.
Adding to this task, diesel continues to dominate the UK van market. It accounted for nearly 80% of all LCV registrations weighing 3.5 tonnes GVW or less. This highlights the scale of the challenge facing manufacturers and operators in transitioning to zero-emission fleets.
Ford’s popularity extends to electric
Ford’s positive start to 2026 continued in February, with its electric van deliveries totalling 601 units. This accounted for 34.4% of all new electric van deliveries, weighing 3.5 tonnes GVW. VW followed behind with a 22.5% market share, while the Kia PV5 van in third achieved an 16.8% share.
Toyota claimed fourth with a 10.6% market share, followed by Renault in fifth with a 6.1% hold. Further down the list, Vauxhall took sixth with a 3.3% share, as Maxus finished seventh with a 1.6% slice. Peugeot ended the month in eighth, representing 1.1% of sales of electric LCVs weighing 3.5 tonnes GVW and less.
By range, the Ford E-Transit Custom led the way. It accounted for 24.2% of electric van registrations, weighing 3.5 tonnes GVW and under. The Kia PV5 followed with a 16.8%. The VW duo of the ID.Buzz Cargo and the VW e-Transporter finished third and fourth, with 12.7% and 9.8%, respectively.
The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) van segment saw Ford, Toyota and VW register a combined 909 units. Ford’s Transit Custom led the way with 443 units, as the Ford Ranger followed with 200 deliveries. A total of 122 Ford Transit Connect PHEVs joined the UK car parc.
Across the first two months of 2026, Ford claimed an 84.3% share of the UK’s PHEV LCV market. Toyota followed with 106 Corolla Commercials, then VW with 38 Caddy PHEV vans.
Limited used-LCV market
Most new LCVs are currently being bought as replacements, rather than for growth. This means there is a limited supply of de-fleeted stock entering the used market. This trend continued in February and looks set to prevail for the foreseeable future.
Stock requiring minimal preparation has been scarce and continued to attract healthy bids. Meanwhile, vehicles requiring replacement parts and repairs have seen profits eroded by increased labour and parts prices.
Any over-supply of stock, especially in the 0-to-24-month age bracket, has proved a challenge. Interest has been limited to the best on offer. Vehicles in the four-to-eight-year-old bracket have fallen into a sweet spot and remain highly desirable. The best examples are panel vans and pickups, alongside dropside and tipper variants.
Short month shortfall in February
The shorter month of February resulted in a 4.6% month-on-month fall in the volume of vehicles sold at auction. The average age of stock sold increased by 0.5 months to 69.9 months. Meanwhile, average mileage fell to 76,580 miles. Average sales prices paid dropped by 3.3% over the month.
However, overall first-time conversion rates improved by 0.7 percentage points (pp), to 77%. This was 3.3pp higher than February last year. During the month, demand for Euro 6 vehicles accounted for 83.7% of sales. Euro 5 volumes equated to 13.2%. Medium vans led demand with 41.2% of sales, followed by large vans and small vans.
The 4×4 pickup sector took 12.5% of the overall UK LCV market. This represented a 0.3p decrease compared to January, and commanded the highest average sales price at just under £12,600 (€14,564). This was a marked reduction from the £14,805 paid in the first month of 2026.
Large vans covered more distance than any other vehicle type in February at an average of 91,036 miles. This was up over 3,900 miles from the previous month. The small van sector returned the highest first-time conversion rate at 80.6%. The lowest was achieved in the 4×4 sector at 72.8%.
Continued positive used electric LCV trend
Sales of used electric vans increased 7.1% in February. Compared with February, the average age of stock sold increased by 5.1 months to 39.3 months. Average mileage also increased from 17,848 miles to 21,010 miles. This older age-mileage profile resulted in the average sale price falling 17.8%, from more than £10,600 to just over £8,700. First-time conversion rates improved from 67.4% to 72.7%.
The medium van sector accounted for 63.6% of all sales in the month. Small vans represented 34.3% of transactions, and the large van sector took a 2% share. The highest mileages were covered in the small van sector, averaging over 28,700 miles. Conversely, the large van sector recorded the lowest at under 13,900 miles.
Large electric vans attained the highest average sales price, over £10,500, down from £16,500 in January. The highest first-time conversion rate of 74.6% was achieved in the medium van sector. Two-thirds of all electric vans sold in February were in the two-to-four-year-old age bracket.
Used LCV retail rises
The number of used vehicles observed for sale in the retail market in February rose 2.8%, to just over 41,550 units. Diesel models made up the bulk of those on sale at 89%. Battery-electric LCVs accounted for 6.6% of sales, ahead of PHEVs, which captured 2.3% of volumes. Petrol-powered vans took a 1.8% share. LCVs with manual gearboxes accounted for 65.8% of overall sales.
Panel vans accounted for 55.5% of all LCVs on sale, 13.9% of volumes were 4×4 pickups, and 9.2% were crew vans. Minibuses held 4.4% of transactions, as dropsides and tippers 1.8% both recorded a 1.8% share. Luton vans represented 1.5% of sales.
Of all the LCVs on sale, 58.9% had mileages of 30,000 miles or less. Then, 28.8% possessed mileages between 30,000 miles and 70,000 miles, while 13.6% had mileages above 100,000 miles. Vehicles priced at £20,000 or more made up 43.1% of listings. Models priced between £10,000 and £20,000 accounted for 37.2% of sales. Meanwhile, 15.8% sat in the £5,000 to £10,000 range, and those priced below £5,000 accounted for 3.9%. Just over 24.5% of all adverts showed the vehicle on sale for a price inclusive of VAT.
White vans led in popularity, accounting for 49.1% of all listings. Grey with 17.9%, black with 10.3%, silver 9.8%, blue 6.2%, and red 2.1% followed. The average vehicle age for February increased by four months to 55 months. Average mileage increased by 8.4% to over 55,600 miles.
