After a record first quarter for new van and truck registrations (108,456 units), the SMMT lobby group is bullish for the rest of 2015 as the CV industry prepares to show off its latest models at this week’s Commercial Vehicle Show.
“The latest registration figures come as a huge boost to the sector which is a bellwether for the UK economy, and which suffered badly during the recession,” the SMMT said in a statement.
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“In 2009, just 221,132 CVs were registered – down from 388,488 in 2007. The past 12 months have seen 384,120 registrations, and demand is expected to remain strong in the months ahead.”
The SMMT said the recent surge in registrations reflected an upturn in UK economic confidence.
“With GDP growing, consumers are spending more on goods and services, and businesses are increasingly ready and able to invest in vehicles to deliver them. Some CV operators are returning to the market having held off new purchases during the recession years while attractive finance offerings from manufacturers are also making it easier to invest in the latest, safest and low emission vehicles.”
The Commercial Vehicle Show at Birmingham’s NEC exhibition centre this week is the UK’s biggest exhibition of vans and trucks, and Europe’s leading international CV show for 2015, and will showcase the newest vehicles on the market with the latest high-tech safety and low emissions systems.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “Commercial vehicles are crucial to the functioning of Britain’s economy and these latest figures paint a very encouraging picture. As business confidence grows, demand for the latest vans and trucks is now back to pre-recession levels – outpacing the rest of Europe.
“This year’s [show] promises to mirror this success, with a huge range of new products on show.”
According to SMMT data there are currently about 4.4m vans and trucks on British roadsdelivering 81% of all goods and shifting almost 3,000 tonnes of goods every minute. In 2014 alone, these vehicles covered 61bn miles in the UK.
Show organisers expect 19,000 to see exhibits from 450 companies. Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Mercedes-Benz and Peugeot are all expected to reveal new models.
The SMMT said domestic demand for vans – sales rose 22.3% to 97,775 in the forst quarter of 2015 – and annual registrations “are now nearing an all-time high”.
The UK is the third-biggest market in Europe for vans and trucks, and was ahead of the two larger countries, Germany (+3.4%) and France (-8.1%), for growth in the first two months of the year.
Since the beginning of 2014, all new trucks have been required to meet the latest European Euro-6 emissions standard. Diesel particulate filters in these vehicles capture 99% of particulates while exhaust after-treatment systems drastically reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides.
From September this year, all new vans also will have to meet the tough Euro-6 standard for light duty vehicles as well.
(All data from SMMT)
UK van registrations so far in 2015: Top 10
|
|
Model |
Registrations |
|
1 |
Ford Transit Custom |
12,627 |
|
2 |
Vauxhall Vivaro |
7,449 |
|
3 |
Volkswagen Transporter |
5,765 |
|
4 |
Peugeot Partner |
5,611 |
|
5 |
Ford Transit |
5,276 |
|
6 |
Citroen Berlingo |
5,207 |
|
7 |
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter |
5,012 |
|
8 |
F ord Transit Connect |
4,096 |
|
9 |
Renault Trafic |
3,368 |
|
10 |
Peugeot Boxer |
2,844 |
