Electric vans take record August share, SMMT figures show

Electric vans took a record 16.3% share of UK light-commercial vehicle registrations in August, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), as overall registrations rose 0.6% to 14,445.

The trade body said August is usually a low-volume month before the September number-plate change, and that this can exaggerate percentage shifts. It recorded the market’s fifth consecutive month of growth, with year-to-date registrations reaching 201,671, up 4.0% on the first eight months of 2025.

Electric light-commercial vehicle registrations rose 25.9% to 2,395. SMMT said the year-to-date electric share was 11.0%, less than half of the 24% ZEV Mandate target it cited for 2026.

Large vans increased 5.2% to 10,943 registrations, while pickups fell 61.2% to 404 after last year’s tax reclassification of double-cab pickups, the organisation said. Medium and small vans also declined.

For Welsh tradespeople and fleet operators, the figures offer a UK-wide benchmark rather than a count of local registrations. SMMT attributes slower electric-van demand to upfront cost, charging provision and wider operating pressures, and says its recommended policy changes would support fleet renewal.

The data does not determine the outcome of the UK Government’s mandate review, which SMMT welcomed as an industry position.