Registrations of new HGVs fell 6% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year but shouldn’t be a cause for concern, writes Peter Brown.
The figures for July to September were published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), its chief executive Mike Hawes said, ‘after last year’s surge in truck demand, one quarter of decline is not a cause for serious concern’.
Through the third quarter 10,839 HGVs were registered. Tractor units were down 20.4% to 4,171 while the rigids sector grew by 6% to reach 6,668 units.
Of the top five body types, box vans were the only one to see volumes increase, up by 23.9%.
The registration for alternative fuelled trucks fell by 47.5% to achieve a market share of 0.5%, down from 0.8% in Q3 last year.
‘Operators continue to face significant barriers which prevent them from having the confidence to invest in ZEVs at a larger scale’, the SMMT stated.
Mike Hawes said: “Falling zero emission truck uptake, however, is another matter, showing the market is struggling to keep up with ambition,” he said.
“Reforming the Plug-in Truck Grant and more rapidly rolling out infrastructure would help encourage more operators to switch to zero emission vehicles sooner, instead of delaying their transition and decarbonisation.”
