The new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market rose by 6.8% in April with 21,716 vans, pickups and 4x4s joining UK roads, according to the latest figures published today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
SMMT welcomed the sector’s return to growth after a disappointing March performance, but noted that this April’s performance has to be compared against a weak April last year, which was impacted by tax changes.
Performance this April was mixed, with overall growth driven by deliveries of large vans, up 28.5% to 15,561 units, representing 71.7% of all new LCVs registered.
Medium-sized vans declined, meanwhile, by 20.0% to 3,476 units. In the smaller volume segments, registrations of 4x4s rose by 81.6% to 1,024 units, while small vans fell 14.4% to 489 units.
More positively, demand for battery electric vans (BEVs) grew strongly following a decline in March, up 44.7% with 2,439 registrations in April.
At an 11.1% market share, however, BEV adoption represented less than half the 24% share mandated for 2026, SMMT pointed out.
More than half of the UK’s LCV model offering is currently available with a plug, backed by substantial manufacturer discounts and government’s Plug-in Van Grant – yet the higher upfront cost of BEV fleet renewal, rising energy costs and infrastructure challenges remain barriers to greater uptake, SMMT warned.
With the year-to-date BEV share still just 9.4%, the sector continues to call for an urgent, wholesale review of the transition that will ensure the regulations reflects market realities and that operators are given the additional support they need to accelerate their transition to net zero emission fleets.
The Ford Transit custom van continued to be the most popular model both in April 2026 and across the year to date, with 2843 and 15,731 registrations respectively.
Taking second place in both categories is the Ford Transit, with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter taking third place during the month of April with 1,227 registrations and the Vauxhall Vivaro landing in third place for the year to date at 5,688 registrations.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “April’s improved market is welcome news, despite a tough economic environment. New LCV investment drives growth and decarbonisation, but must be sustained by investment in public and depot BEV infrastructure – and a reversal of BIK on double cabs – to build momentum for fleet renewal that cuts emissions and boosts business.
“The latest industry outlook for 2026 has been revised downwards, with 314,000 units expected to be delivered this year – flat (-0.5%) compared with last year, and 7,000 units fewer than January’s outlook.
“BEVs up to 3.5T are expected to see volume growth of 25%, half the level anticipated in January, reaching a market share of 11.1% – considerably adrift of the ZEV Mandate ambition,” he added.