UK demand for new light commercial vehicles has fallen for the eighth consecutive month, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Registrations of new vans, pick-ups, and 4x4s dropped by 13.3% in August, with 14,365 new vehicles joining UK roads.
The fall in demand saw 2,210 fewer registrations than in August last year, and 111 fewer than in February, another traditionally quiet month for sales ahead of the September 'new plate' change.
Declining sales in new vans is attributed to an increasingly tough economic environment, as well as weak business confidence. As a result, every vehicle segment experienced a drop in sales.
Demand for the large vans, which make up the majority of the market, fell by 11.5% to 10,398 units.
Medium-sized vans saw a 14% drop, while new pick-up truck registrations had the largest percentage decline, down 25.8% to 1,040 units.
The continued impacted of the April changes to the reclassification of double-cab pickups as cars for benefit-in-kind and capital allowance purposes continues to be a reason why pick-up truck numbers are lower than in previous years.
Despite the overall market decline, demand for battery electric vans (BEVs) more than doubled compared to August last year. Sales of new electric vans rose by 109.5% to 1,902 units. As a result, the overall market share for BEVs has risen to a new monthly record of 13%.
However, the SMMT noted that this is still some distance below the government's ZEV Mandate target of 16%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: "August is conventionally a low volume month for the new LCV market so while the continued decline is disappointing, the focus is on September to deliver the fleet investment and growth that would reflect a healthy business environment.
"A thriving market is also essential for decarbonisation, given the vast choice of electric van models already available to suit almost every need. Manufacturers need greater volumes to ensure investment in innovation continues unabated," Hawes added.
With September usually being the second-busiest month of the year, operator confidence will be crucial for the industry.
