Vans dominate the stands at the annual Commercial Vehicle Show as the event opens its doors at the NEC, Birmingham, and the growth of online shopping is being cited as a major reason.
Ahead of the three-day show, organiser the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) has announced that there are now a record number of vans on the UK’s roads, exceeding four million.
The 4,007,331 vans recorded as operating in Britain is 4.3 per cent up on 2015, with more than 370,000 vehicles registered last year, and the SMMT reports that demand is continuing at record levels – already up 1.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2016.
In the UK market van sales are very much on the up.
The SMMT puts this sustained growth down to continuing business confidence and a surge in online shopping and the deliveries that result. This view is supported by Richard Burnett, chief executive of the Road Haulage Association – writing in the show programme, he notes that truck manufacturers are conspicuous by their absence at the event. Part of this is due to recently introduced Euro 6 emissions regulations, which saw truck manufacturers unveil new models ahead of the emissions compliance date leaving them with little new to exhibit at the 2016 event. But consumer shopping habits are also a major constituent factor.
“The increase in online shopping, where delivery within a 24-hour period is not always financially viable for large vehicles, has resulted in an increase in van ...