“Current economic business uncertainties are holding back demand from light commercial buyers,” said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), which represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers in the UK commenting on the latest SMMT’s new van registration figures. In October, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) dealers registered a total of 22,896 new vans and light commercials, a decrease of -15.1%. This decrease follows a robust September market and reflects a broader slowdown in fleet renewal across 2025, with overall registrations down -10.2% year to date to 264,160 units. October saw weaker demand across all van weight segments. Registrations of the largest vans between 2.5–3.5 tonnes fell to 16,443 units, down -7.0%, though they continued to make up the majority of market activity. Medium-sized vans (2.0–2.5 tonnes) experienced a sharper drop of -41.2% to 3,347 units, while smaller vans under 2.0 tonnes were also down -23.4% to 523 units. The 4×4 segment recorded notable growth, rising 88.0% to 440 units, yet this remains a relatively small portion of overall LCV volumes. After over a year of uninterrupted gains, registrations of battery electric vans (BEVs) eased in October, down -9.0% to 1,950 units. Despite this, BEV market share edged up to 9.2% as the wider market contracted more sharply. Year-to-date, BEV registrations remain significantly higher, up 47.4% to 24,250 units. However, BEVs still represent only 9.1% of total LCV registrations so far in 2025, well below the 16% share required under the government’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Mandate. “With the Government’s Budget arriving later than usual on 26 November, businesses have remained cautious about investing in capital goods such as new vans amid ongoing uncertainty. Notably, October marked the first decline in double-cab pick-up registrations, down -20.2%, following the April introduction of car benefit-in-kind taxation on these vehicles. We hope to see demand for all light commercial vehicles strengthen as the year draws to a close.”