“March’s figures showed slight improvement in the light commercial vehicle market. While the car market typically experiences a surge in registrations due to the new number plate change, this trend does not always extend to LCVs” 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 March, Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) dealers registered a total of 51,221 new vans reflecting a -3.2% year-on-year decline. This marks the fourth consecutive month of decline in the market. For 2025, year-to-date figures reveal 84,747 new LCVs, up to 3.5 tonnes, are on the road this year, a decline of -10.6%. Registrations were down across most van weight categories. Small vans (under 2.0t) saw a significant increase of 60.8%, with 1,585 units registered. Medium vans (between 2.0–2.5t) dropped by -8.5%, with 8,180 units registered, and the larger vans (between 2.5–3.5t) also saw a decline of -10.0%, registering 32,025 units. The pick-up segment experienced a strong increase, rising by 40.6% to 8,107 units driven by the new tax regulations brought about by the ‘Benefit-in-Kind’ changes from April 2025. Electric van sales saw growth, with BEVs up to 4.25t rising by 40.3% to 4,215 units in March, setting a new monthly high. This brings the total market share for EV vans to 8.3% year-to-date, up 2.8% from last year. Year-to-date, BEVs under 3.5t have seen a 31.4% rise, making up 7.6% of the total market share so far. Sue Robinson added: “Although these numbers are small, they indicate an encouraging shift in the market. “The significant increase in pick-up registrations is not surprising, with March being the final month consumers could purchase a pick-up and still benefit from the lower commercial Benefit-in-Kind taxation. From April onwards, due to a budgetary change by HMRC, these vehicles will be reclassified as cars for Benefit-in-Kind purposes. “Concerns also persist about the heavy van segment, which is crucial for fleet use in distribution and service sectors. These heavy vans are key indicators of the overall health of the LCV market and tend to offer insights into future demand.”