New light commercial vehicle registrations fell for the sixth month running in May as weak business confidence held back fleet investment.

Registrations of vans, 4x4s and pickups dropped to 22,796 units last month, down 11.8% despite fast-rising demand for electric vehicles, as revealed in latest Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) figures.

Downturns were seen across vans of all sizes. Large vans slumped 14.0% to 14,652 units, while deliveries of medium-sized vehicles fell by 9.2% to 4,065 units and the smallest vans by 7.8% to 673. Only the new 4×4 segment saw growth, up 36.9% to 716 units.

The pickup segment, meanwhile, fell by 12.7% to 2,690 registrations. The decline follows two months of rises and shows the impact of April’s introduction of fiscal measures to treat double-cabs as cars for Benefit-in-Kind and capital allowance purposes. The SMMT continues to urge government to postpone the change for at least one year to give industry and customers more time to prepare, especially with the arrival of new lower- and zero-emission vehicles.

More positively, electric van uptake (up to 4.25 tonnes) grew 50.0% to 1,731 units in May – the seventh successive month of rising demand – but the market share of 7.6% for May and 8.2% in the year to date is half the 16% share mandated for 2025, although latest flexibilites in the ZEV mandate are expected to help.

The SMMT said the Plug-in Van Grant continues to offer essential support for buyers, but also called for rapid investment in LCV-suitable charging infrastructure – at public, depot and shared hub locations across the UK.

The industry body also says preferential treatment for depot grid connections is vital, given the waiting time of up to 15 years – beyond the 2035 end of ICE sale date. It also wants consistent and efficient implementation of local planning policy for charge points.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “It’s positive that zero-emission van uptake is rising, but with market share at just half the mandated level, it’s clear we need action to drive that uptake faster. Accelerating LCV-centric and affordable charge point rollout is the bold next step that van operators and manufacturers need now.”

Flexis – Renault Group and Volvo Group’s joint venture in last-mile electric delivery solutions – said the latest SMMT figures expose a widening disconnect in the UK’s transition to electric vehicles.

Matt Hawkins, head of Flexis UK&I, said: “While 22% of new passenger cars are now battery electric, only 7% of newly registered vans under 3.5 tonnes are battery electric. That’s despite vans contributing around a third of road transport emissions, while making up only 13.5% of vehicles on the road.

“With e-commerce and last-mile delivery continuing to rise, van traffic is only going to increase. Unless we accelerate the shift to electric, we risk locking in high emissions for another decade or more.”

Hawkins went on: “Businesses are ready to make the transition, but they need confidence – be it in the charging network, in costs, and in long-term support. That’s why stronger coordination between government, industry, and infrastructure providers is essential. We need to remove the barriers holding businesses back.”