Despite the coronavirus pandemic here in the UK, there has been a large increase in the number of new vans registered in March 2021 in comparison to the same month last year according to statistics produced by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

In March 2021, the number of new vans sold in the up to 3.5 tonnes category amounted to 56,122 whereas in March 2020 the figure was 30,247. That is a rise of 25,875 with this equating to an increase of 85.5%. We are sure that you will agree that is a very large rise and will be welcomed by those involved in the industry.

Breaking down those figures in a little more detail the number of new pickups sold in March 2021 amounted to 8,633 whereas in March 2020 the figure was 4,648. That is a rise of 3,985 that equates to an increase of 85.7%. The number of new 4x4s sold amounted to 669 in March 2021 whereas in March 2020 244 were sold. That is an increase of 425 that equates to a rise of 174.2%. The number of new vans sold in the up to 2.0 tonnes category amounted to 3,089 in March 2021 compared to 1,575 in March 2020. That is an increase of 1,514 with that equating to a large increase of 96.1%. The number of new vans sold in the 2.0 to 2.5 tonnes category amounted to 7,699 in March 2021 compared to 5,855 in March 2020. That is a rise of 1,844 with that equating to an increase of 31.5%. The number of new vans sold in the 2.5 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes category amounted to 36,032 in March 2021 compared to 17,925 in March 2020. That is a rise of 18,107 with this equating to an increase of 101.00%.

On a year to date basis to March 2021, the number of new vans sold in the UK in the up to 3.5 tonnes category amounted to 97,356 compared to 67,907 for the same period to March 2020. That is an increase of 29,449 with this equating to a rise of 43.4%.

The top 5 selling new vans in the UK in March 2021 were: –

1. Ford Transit Custom 9,627
2. Ford Transit 4,516
3. Volkswagen Transporter 4,238
4. Ford Ranger 3,500
5. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 2,744

Let us hope that the rest of 2021 and beyond produces positive results relating to the number of new vans sold here in the UK. Hopefully, there will also be an increase in the number of used vans being sold in the UK. We will continue to keep our readers updated periodically.