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The new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market grew 11.4% in October with 25,510 vans, pickups and 4x4s joining the road, according to the latest figures recently published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The performance delivered the market’s seventh consecutive month of growth with year-to-date volumes up 4.8% to 276,885 registrations.
Large vans continued to deliver the bulk of volume growth, up 12.9% to 18,560 units in October – representing 72.8% of the overall market – while medium vans rose by 14.3% to 3,825 units. 4x4s achieved the largest percentage increase, more than doubling (up 104.3%) to 899 units. There were declines, however, with small van deliveries down -11.7% to 462 units and pickup registrations falling -17.7% to 1,764 units. Pickup demand is down -52.9% on the same period in 2025.
More positively, battery electric van (BEV) uptake achieved its best ever October, up 58% to 3,369 registrations and a 12.9% market share – growing the year-to-date share to 11%.
The latest industry outlook for the overall new LCV market expects 4.2% growth to 329,000 units this year, with BEVs weighing up to 3.5 tonnes achieving a 10.4% share.
Meanwhile, the UK new car market rose 5.4% to 152,730 registrations in October. The performance marks the eleventh consecutive increase, albeit at around half the growth rate seen across the first ten months of the year after a bumper number-plate change September.
Growth was recorded across all sales types. Fleet registrations rose 5.4% to 89,985 units, accounting for 58.9% of the market, while private demand increased 4.1% to 58,229 units and a 38.1% share. Business registrations climbed 24.5% to 4,516 units.
Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and battery electric (BEV) cars accounted for all of the growth. PHEV registrations rose 30.1% to take a 15% market share, while BEV deliveries increased by 32.7% to secure 32% – their highest share this year as manufacturers intensified efforts to bring registrations closer to the annual mandated target, repeating the pattern of the previous two years. Hybrid (HEV) volumes declined for a second month, down -5%, but, together, electrified cars accounted for almost six in 10 (59 %) registrations.
