News

There was record demand for new vans in the UK last year, but there was a drop in heavy truck registrations. According to statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, (SMMT) van registrations rose 3.2% in 2007 to a record 337,741 units. The figure - boosted by the growth of the online retail delivery industry - easily beat the previous record volume of 329,599 set in 2004.

The annual total for heavy vans (2.6 tonnes and above) soared by 11.4% to 223,974 two-thirds of  all van registrations in 2007. However, the annual total for light vans was down 25.3% to 51,835. Heavy truck registrations fell 8.7% annually, however, a 29.4% surge in demand in December took the total to 50,747 units sold during the year. Industry insiders believe the overall drop was caused by long lead times for new vehicles, rather than a lack of demand from operators.

The UK's total commercial vehicle market last year reached 388,488 units - a rise of 1.5% on the previous year. Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive, says: "December's registrations completed another excellent year for the UK's van and truck sectors. Demand for vans remains very strong, focused on heavy models. Overall, strong order books suggest buoyant commercial vehicle registration figures for many months to come, from what proves a solidly reliable business and economic indicator."

Yet again, Daf topped the heavy commercial vehicle registration table with a 22.76% annual slice of the highly fragmented  UK market Mercedes is next in line with a 14.87% share. Stuart Hunt, managing director, Daf Trucks, adds: "We already have a significant order bank taking us into the year...we look forward to continued success in 2008." Ford and Vauxhall continue to be the most popular light commercial vehicle manufacturers in the UK, with 27.55% and 15.68% shares of the annual market respectively.