There Have Never Been More Vans On UK Roads Than There Are Now
There Have Never Been More Vans On UK Roads Than There Are Now
Van use in the United Kingdom reached a record-breaking milestone in 2024, according to new figures revealed by the SMMT.
Sales of new vans rose by 3% in 2024, helping to increase the number of vans total on UK roads to more than five million.
The figure – 5,102,180 commercial vehicles – represents just over 12% of all vehicles currently registered in the UK.
It means a record number of vans were in service on UK roads last year, up by 1.8% on 2023.
While it demonstrates the enduring popularity of commercial vehicles, the figures do indicate the work that still needs to be done to promote electric models before a planned ban for the sale of petrol/diesel models is brought into effect in the next decade.
Indeed, while a rising number of cars registered as either BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle) or HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) means they now account for 1 in 20 vehicles on the road, there remains a huge disparity between diesel and electric vans.
In all, 95.3% of vans on UK roads are diesel-powered with just 1.6% BEVs, while PHEV and HEV account for just 0.1% each of commercial vehicles overall.
More Than 1 Million Ford Transit Vans On UK Roads
SMMT also revealed the top ten commercial vehicles on the road according to manufacturer and model with the Ford Transit Custom and Ford Transit dominating the figures.
More than 500,000 Transit Customs and Transits each are registered on UK roads, a figure of over one million when added together. It means that 20% of the entire commercial vehicle total on UK roads is a Transit.
The Volkswagen Transporter comes in third position, ahead of the UK-built Vauxhall Vivaro, while the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is the second most popular large van after the Transit.
The Ford Transit Connect is another popular variant of the iconic nameplate in sixth with almost 200,000 UK registrations.
It makes the Transit Connect the most prolific small van in the UK, though it is chased closely by the Citroen Berlingo.
The Ford Ranger is the most common pick-up truck with 172,078 registrations, while the Peugeot Partner and Renault Trafic round out of the top ten.
| Van | No. Vehicles | |
| 1 | Ford Transit Custom | 511,448 |
| 2 | Ford Transit | 507,175 |
| 3 | Volkswagen Transporter | 376,190 |
| 4 | Vauxhall Vivaro | 281,026 |
| 5 | Ford Transit Custom | 260,140 |
| 6 | Ford Transit Connect | 193,999 |
| 7 | Citroen Berlingo | 176,604 |
| 8 | Ford Ranger | 172,078 |
| 9 | Peugeot Partner | 164,034 |
| 10 | Renault Trafic | 161,009 |
Latest vans in stock
Citroen Berlingo M Diesel 1.5 BlueHDi 100ps Van Enterprise
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Ford Transit Custom 280 L1 Diesel Fwd 2.0 EcoBlue 136ps H1 Van Limited
- Air Conditioning
- Alloy Wheels
- Heated Seats
Citroen Dispatch M Diesel 1.5 BlueHDi 120ps Van Enterprise
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 315Cdi L3 Diesel Rwd 3.5t H2 Pro Van
- Air Conditioning
- Multimedia System with Touchscreen
- Reversing Camera
Ford Ranger Diesel Pick Up Double Cab Wildtrak 2.0 EcoBlue 205 Auto
- Alloy Wheels
- Reversing Camera
- Sat Nav
Citroen Berlingo E-M 100kW 52kWh Van Enterprise Auto
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Ford Transit 350 L2 Diesel Rwd 2.0 EcoBlue 130ps Leader Tipper [1 Way]
- Air Conditioning
- Bluetooth
- USB Port
Maxus Deliver 9 Lwb Diesel Fwd 2.0 D20 150 High Roof Van
- Apple Car Play/Android Auto
- Reversing Camera
- Air Conditioning
- Front + Rear Parking Sensors
Renault Kangoo L1 Diesel ML19 Blue dCi 95 Extra Van
- Air Conditioning
- Automatic Headlights
- Multimedia System with Touchscreen
Citroen Relay 3500 L2 Diesel 2.2 BlueHDi 140 H2 Van Enterprise
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Man Tge 3 Long Diesel 180 Lion XC High Roof Van
- Sat Nav
- Reversing Camera
Peugeot Partner Standard Diesel 1.5 BlueHDi 100 Professional Van
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Fiat Doblo L1 Diesel 1.5 Multijet 100 H1 Van Primo
- Air Conditioning
- Automatic Headlights
Vauxhall Combo Cargo Combo Diesel 1.5 Turbo D 100ps Prime H1 Van
- Flex Cargo 3 Seats
- Multimedia System with Touchscreen
- Air Conditioning
- Rear Parking Sensors
Citroen Berlingo M Diesel 1.5 BlueHDi 100ps Van Driver
- Sat Nav
- Air Conditioning
- Reversing Camera
Renault Kangoo L2 Diesel LL21 Blue dCi 95 Extra Van
- Air Conditioning
- Front + Rear Parking Sensors
- Multimedia System with Touchscreen