The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) has reported that May 2014 saw an 18% increase in van registrations.

Van registrations shot up by 18.4% in May to 24,283. And year-to-date registrations were a solid 13.3% ahead at 124,820 units.

By contrast, truck registrations dropped 20% in May 2014 to 2,915 units. Also, year-to-date registrations fell 23.8% to 13,207 units.

In commenting on these trends, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said:

“Vans continue to perform in-line with SMMT's expectations for the year, while trucks lag behind 2013 levels as the effect of switching to new Euro-6 compliant models is ongoing. ”

“It is likely that 2014 truck volumes will fall behind last year's total, while new van introductions should sustain this part of the market. ”