Sellers are bracing for a pointy fall in pick-ups in 2025 following the federal government hike in taxation introduced within the Finances final yr.
Gross sales are already in decline, down -8.3% in 2024 and this seems to be more likely to speed up this yr, in line with the Society of Motor Producers & Merchants, which launched van gross sales figures right this moment.
“A trigger for severe concern is the -8.3% drop in new pick-up registrations to 37,582 items – a quantity which may fall considerably additional in 2025 following authorities’s resolution to tax double-cabs as vehicles for profit in type and capital allowances functions from April this yr.
“Key businesses which depend on these vehicles, from farming and construction to utilities and sole traders, will face considerable additional costs,” it mentioned.
General, the UK’s new gentle business automobile (LCV) market rose by 3% to surpass 350,000 registrations in 2024.
New BEV registration volumes rose by 3.3% to 22,155 items, taking a 6.3% share of the market, effectively adrift of the ten% required by the ZEV Mandate for vans in 2024.
Mike Hawes, SMMT CEO mentioned: “Vans, 4x4s and pick-ups preserve companies all over the place on the transfer, making this sector a barometer of the UK economic system.
“Buyer confidence, however, will inevitably be undermined when charging infrastructure does not meet the needs of fleet operations. A review of EV regulation is crucial, therefore, to reflect current market realities and ensure ambitions are deliverable, without any negative and costly consequences.”
