New LCV registrations suffer fifth consecutive month of decline in UK
14 May 2025
The fall in UK light-commercial vehicle (LCV) registrations continued in April, while battery-electric vehicle (BEV) deliveries provided a silver lining. Andy Picton, specialist residual value analyst at Glass’s, assesses the market with Autovista24 web editor James Roberts.
April saw a fifth month of decline for the UK LCV market. A total of 20,332 new vans, pickups and chassis variants took to the country’s roads, marking a 14.9% year-on-year drop. The month witnessed demand fall across all sectors, except pickups, which enjoyed a 10.2% year-on-year increase in registrations.
The market for vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) once again suffered the biggest drop. Following a 10% descent in March, April saw the sector sink to a 22.9% total.
The category recorded 12,113 new registrations, 3,601 units fewer than in April 2024. Despite this, vans of this type remained most popular, representing over 59.6% of all units registered in the UK.
Demand for vans in the 2-tonne GVW category bucked an established trend. April saw registrations slide for the first time in 14 months, down 5.5%. Meanwhile, vans weighing between 2 and 2.5 tonnes GVW experienced a 5.8% drop.
Ford tops the UK LCV market
Echoing the top three LCV registrations for March, Ford occupied the podium places in April. In particular, the Ford Transit Custom continued to prove popular with 2,560 units, 930 ahead of the second-place Ford Transit. The Ford Ranger followed in third with 1,216 registrations.
Stellantis Pro One enjoyed a notable month. The Citroen Berlingo ended up in fourth with 1,003 sales. Additionally, its stablemate the Vauxhall Vivaro, registered 933 units in fifth. The result means the Vivaro featured in the top five for a second consecutive month.
There was further encouragement for the OEM further down the top 10. The Peugeot Partner emerged in seventh with 795 units. Meanwhile, the Vauxhall Combo ended up joint eighth alongside the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with 760 units. The latter slipped three places from its April 2024 ranking.
The Toyota Hilux secured sixth place, registering 844 units. Then the Renault Trafic rounded out the top 10 with 682 units respectively.
BEV cloud has a silver lining
April marked a seventh consecutive month of increased battery-electric van registrations up to 4.25 tonnes GVW. Compared with 12 months ago, the sector saw a considerable 77.5% rise, with 1,686 units registered. This equated to a monthly market share of 8.3%, up 4.3 percentage points (pp) compared to April 2024.
So far in 2025, battery-electric van registrations have followed a positive trend. In the first four months of the year, 8,778 units were delivered, compared with 6,167 at the same point last year. This marks a 42.3% increase. As a result, the overall market share increased 8.3% from the 5.2% recorded in April 2024.
VW charging ahead
Volkswagen (VW) accounted for 25.9% of all new BEVs registered in April. This put it well ahead of its nearest challenger, Vauxhall, with an 18.9% share. Ford followed in third place with a 17.7% hold on the market.
Stellantis Pro One marques tailed, with Peugeot in fourth, taking 15.4%, and Citroen fifth with 47%. Further down the list, Renault ended April in sixth with 64 units (3.8%), and Maxus in seventh with 51 registrations (3%). Mercedes-Benz took eighth place, selling 38 units (2.3%), Toyota in ninth with 35 units (2.1%), while Nissan rounded out the top 10 with 32 units (1.9%).
By range, the VW ID.Buzz Cargo accounted for 23.5% of new electric vans registered in April, with 397 units. This marked a step up from third place in March, however, with 243 fewer registrations.
The Ford E-Transit finished sixth with 73 units, with a 4.3% market share. The Citroën e-Berlingo finished seventh with 57 units (3.4% share), the VW e-Transporter eighth with 41 units, with a 2.4% share. The Renault Kangoo E-Tech came ninth with 39 units (2.3% share). Then there was a tie for 10th between the Maxus eDeliver 3 and Nissan Townstar Electric. Both recorded 31-unit deliveries and a 1.8% share.
The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) van segment saw Ford, Toyota and VW register a combined 495 units. Ford led the pack with 287 Transit Custom PHEVs, 69 Transit Connect, and one Ranger. Toyota followed with 104 Corolla Commercials, while VW added 34 Caddy PHEVs. In the year to date, 3,070 hybrid LCVs were registered, with Ford claiming a dominant 73.6% share.
UK government support needed
With BEV uptake just above 50% of the 2025 target, fleet operators need stronger government support to accelerate the transition.
The recent commitment to fast-track grid connections for data centres, wind farms, and solar projects has been welcomed. However, transport depots must also be prioritised. Without reliable infrastructure, operators cannot commit to zero-emission fleets.
To speed up the shift, the UK needs a fit-for-purpose public charging network. It also needs general charging infrastructure tailored to commercial vehicles. Energy costs must be more competitive, and local planning policy should be streamlined. A clear focus on faster grid connections and simplified depot charging approvals is essential.
Mixed used-LCV market picture
April was a busy month for the used-LCV market, although the UK bank holidays seemed to impact activity. Some smaller auction houses reported stock shortages, while others were overflowing. Early signs of potential feast-or-famine trends are emerging as the sector heads into the second and third quarters.
Vehicle sales dipped for the first time in five months, down 10.3% on March. However, with younger, lower-mileage stock hitting the lanes, average sale prices jumped 6.2%. Strong competition for the best vans kept prices buoyant, while higher-mileage, damaged vehicles continued to underperform.
The average vehicle age dropped to 66.1 months, down from 74.8 in March and nearly eight months younger year-on-year. Average mileage also declined by 4.3% to 75,326 miles.
Euro 6 vehicles made up 85% of sales in April, up 7% on March, while Euro 5 LCVs fell to 12.5%. Medium vans led demand with 41.4% of sales, followed by small vans (25.8%) and large vans (20.5%). 4×4 pickups rose to 12.2%, commanding the highest average price at £12,171, despite a 9.4% dip.
First-time conversion rates rose to 79.8% from 76.9% in March. Small vans had the highest success at 82.4%, with pickups trailing at 66.2%.
Small vans dominate used BEVs
Electric vans made up 2.5% of all auction sales in April. Their average age rose to 44.6 months, up from 41.6 in March, yet still below the 48.2-month average seen a year ago. Mileage dropped to 30,019 miles, down from 34,449 last month, though still 11.2% higher than April 2024.
First-time conversion rates for electric vans jumped to 61.6%, while average sale prices slipped 8.4% to just over £7,450.
Small electric vans dominated, accounting for 58.9% of sales, with most units falling in the four to six-year age range. They also clocked the highest mileage, averaging 36,172 miles. Large electric vans stood out on performance, achieving a 100% conversion rate.
Used retail market on the up
The number of used vehicles listed for sale in the retail market rose slightly in April, up 0.7% to over 48,300 units. Diesel models continued to appeal at 92.3%, while BEVs made up 4.6%, ahead of petrol (2.1%) and PHEVs (0.7%).
Pricing remained varied, with nearly 39% of vehicles listed at £20,000 or more. Just over a third were priced between £10,000 and £20,000, while 20.1% sat in the £5,000 to £10,000 range. Only 5.2% of vehicles were priced below £5,000.
White vans led in popularity, accounting for just over half of listings. Grey, black, silver, and blue followed behind. The average vehicle age held steady at 58 months, however, mileage climbed by 3.1% to more than 58,750 miles.
