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The UK's light-commercial vehicle (LCV) market experienced a sixth consecutive month of decline in May 2025, with a year-on-year drop of 11.8%. However, the electric LCV segment showed signs of growth, as registrations increased by 50% compared to the same month in 2024.
Despite the overall decline in the LCV market, electric LCV registrations have shown significant growth. In the first half of 2025, electric LCV registrations accounted for 8.6% of the market, up from 5.5% in the same period last year.
The growth in electric LCV registrations is a positive development, as the UK government aims to increase the adoption of electric vehicles to meet its carbon emission targets. However, the electric LCV market remains below the government's targets, highlighting the need for additional measures to boost demand.
In the retail market, diesel models continued to dominate with a 92.1% share, while the average vehicle age fell to 56 months. The average mileage in the retail market also fell by 3.4% to just under 56,750 miles in May.
In the PHEV van segment, Ford led with 685 units registered, followed by Toyota and VW. The Ford E-Transit Custom accounted for 22.3% of all new electric vans registered in May, while the Ford E-Transit made up 5.3% of all BEV registrations. The VW e-Transporter and Citroen e-Dispatch tied in seventh with 64 units (3.7% share). The Renault Kangoo E-Tech finished ninth with 61 units (3.5% share), and the Citroen e-Berlingo came sixth with 84 units and a share of 4.3%.
The Toyota Proace City Electric came 10th with 48 units (2.8% share), and the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter finished fourth with 5.8%. The Vauxhall Vivaro Electric took third with 7.5%. The VW ID.Buzz Cargo was second with a 19.8% share, while Ford accounted for 74.4% of all PHEV LCV registrations in the year to date.
Used electric van sales dipped for the second month in a row in May, accounting for 2.4% of the overall auction market. The average mileage of medium electric vans was the highest at 36,776 miles in May, while the average mileage of pickups was the lowest at 5,506 miles. Mileage of used electric vans dropped sharply to 20,010 miles in May, and first-time conversion rates for used electric vans fell to 59.4% in May.
Average sale prices for used electric vans jumped by 13.6% in May, indicating a growing demand for these vehicles in the used market. The number of used vehicles for sale in the retail market rose by 0.2% in May, suggesting a stabilisation in the used vehicle market.
Overall, while the electric LCV market is growing, it faces challenges in meeting government targets due to broader economic conditions and infrastructure limitations. The BIK taxation changes in May 2025 were intended to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles by providing favorable tax conditions. However, specific data on how these changes have impacted the electric LCV market is not explicitly detailed in the available sources. Generally, such changes are expected to increase demand for electric vehicles by reducing the tax burden on businesses and individuals operating electric vehicles.
The growth in electric LCV registrations, as seen in the first half of 2025, is a positive sign towards meeting the UK government's carbon emission targets, despite the overall decline in the LCV market. However, the electric LCV market still falls below the government's targets, indicating the need for further measures to boost demand, particularly in the industry, finance, transportation, and automotive sectors.
