Opinion: Sales volumes in new and used LCV markets fall

By Andy Picton, specialist RV analyst at Glass’s

New LCV market

April saw a fifth month of decline for the UK LCV market. A total of 20,407 new vans, pick-ups 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 LCVs between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) once again suffered the biggest drop.

Following a 10% drop in March, April saw the sector decline by 22.9%.

The 12,113 new registrations recorded were 3,601 units fewer than in April 2024. Despite this, vans of this type remain the most popular, representing over 59.5% of all units registered in the UK.

Demand for vans 2 tonnes GVW and under 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% decline.

Echoing the top three LCV registrations for March, Ford again 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 placed Ford Transit. The Ford Ranger followed in third with 1,216 registrations.

Stellantis Pro One enjoyed a notable month. The Citroen Berlingo ended up best of the rest in fourth with 1,003 units, whilst 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.

Further down the top 10 the Peugeot Partner finished in seventh with 795 units, whilst the Vauxhall Combo ended up joint eighth alongside the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with 760 units.

The latter slipping three places from its April 2024 ranking. The Toyota Hilux came in sixth place, registering 844 units, whilst the Renault Trafic rounded out the top 10 with 682 units.

Top five LCV registrations

YTD 2025		April 2025		April 2024
Ford Transit Custom	16,906	Ford Transit Custom	2,560	Ford Transit	2,148
Ford Transit	8,559	Ford Transit	1,630	Ford Transit Custom	1,920
Ford Ranger	8,363	Ford Ranger	1,216	Vauxhall Vivaro	1,661
Vauxhall Vivaro	5,062	Citroen Berlingo	1,003	Ford Ranger	1,416
Citroen Berlingo	3,902	Vauxhall Vivaro	933	Mercedes-Benz Sprinter	1,411

 

Electric van registrations

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 equates to a monthly market share of 8.3%, up 4.3% compared to April 2024.

BEVs registered so far in 2025 have underlined a positive trend. In the first quarter, 8,778 units have been registered, compared with 6,167 in the first quarter of 2024. This marks a 42.3% increase.

As a result, the overall market share of BEVs has increased 8.3% from the 5.2% recorded in April 2024.

Battery electric LCV registrations up to 4.25t GVW

Manufacturer – April 2025		Range – April 2025			Manufacturer YTD EV Sales			YTD EV Regs as % of Overall Sales
Volkswagen	438	Volkswagen ID Buzz Cargo		397	Ford	1958		Dacia	100.0
Vauxhall	318	Ford E-Transit Custom		252	Volkswagen	1722		Volkswagen	17.6
Ford	299	Peugeot e-Expert	241		Vauxhall	1570		Vauxhall	17.3
Peugeot	260	Vauxhall Vivaro Electric	224		Peugeot	727		Nissan	16.1
Citroen	80	Vauxhall Combo Electric		94	Mercedes-Benz		500	Maxus	15.8

 

Volkswagen (VW) accounted for 25.9% of all new BEVs registered in April, well ahead of nearest challenger Vauxhall with 18.9% share. Ford followed in third place with 17.7%.

The Stellantis Pro One marques of Peugeot and Citroen were next in fourth and fifth, taking 15.4% and 4.7% respectively.

Further down the list, Renault ended April in sixth with 64 units (3.8%), 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%), whilst Nissan rounded out the top 10 with 32 units (1.9%). 

By range, the VW ID Buzz Cargo accounted for 23.5% of all new electric vans registered in April with 397 units. This marked a step up from third place in March, however with 243 fewer registrations.

In April, positions six to ten in the electric van rankings were occupied by the Ford E-Transit in sixth with 73 units, (4.3%), Citroën e-Berlingo seventh with 57 units, (3.4%), the new Volkswagen e-Transporter eighth with 41 units, (2.4%), Renault Kangoo E-Tech ninth with 39 units (2.3%), and a tie for 10th between the Maxus eDeliver 3 and Nissan Townstar Electric, each with 31 units (1.8%).

The plug-in hybrid van segment saw Ford, Toyota and Volkswagen register a combined 495 units. Ford led the pack with 287 Transit Custom plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), 69 Transit Connect and 1 Ranger PHEV. Toyota followed with 104 Corolla Commercials, while Volkswagen added 34 Caddy PHEVs.

Year-to-date, 3,070 hybrid LCVs have been registered, with Ford claiming a dominant 73.6% share.

With BEV uptake still 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 is welcome, 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, as well as 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.

Used LCV market overview

April proved a busy month for the used market, with UK bank holidays seemingly impacted on activity.

Some smaller auction houses have reported stock shortages while others are overflowing. These early fluctuations could be signs of market seasonality with periods of feast-or-famine that could emerge as we move through the year.

April in detail

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 8 months younger year-on-year. Average mileage also declined, from 4.3% to 75,326 miles.

Euro 6 vehicles made up 85% of sales, up 7% on the month, 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%). 4x4 pickups rose to 12.2%, commanding the highest average price at £12,171, despite a 9.4% dip.

Overall first-time conversion rates rose to 79.8%, up 7.1% year-on-year. The small van sector had the best return at 82.4%, with pickups the lowest at 66.2%.

Of the vehicles sold at auction in April, 85.0% were Euro 6 – up 7% on March. Average age was 56.3 months with an average mileage of 71,406 miles (72,515 miles in March).

Euro 5 stock accounted for 12.5% of sales, down 9.8% on the previous month.

Large vans covered more distance than any other vehicle type in April at an average of 83,698 miles, down nearly 3,700 miles.

April used electric vehicle in detail

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, but 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 jumped 10.7% 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

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 plug-in hybrids (0.7%).

Nearly 39% of vehicles listed were priced 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.