Van sales suffer due to uncertain economy

For the first time in 17 months there has been a decline in the number of van sales. The figures for July show a 0.8% decrease in the number of van registrations, down to 17,162. It is thought the figures represent an uncertain period for the economy.

However, it is not all doom and gloom with industry experts cautiously optimistic after a dramatic increase in year-to-date sales. The number of van sales made so far this year totals 150,400, representing a 20.7 per cent rise on the corresponding seven-month period for 2010. Such an increase in van sales also brings about an increase in the number of van insurance customers; great news for many of the UK’s van insurance companies.

The increase in van sales was not mirrored in other sectors of the commercial vehicle market. The number of heavy truck registrations rose by 27.5% to 3,519 in July. The heavy truck market has been doing particularly well over the past year, with the rolling yearly figure for the number of registrations up 21.6% to 248,736.

The Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, Paul Everitt, said: “Truck sales figures rose by 27.5%, the tenth successive monthly rise, and whilst the industry remains cautious, expectations for the remainder of 2011 are high with manufacturers expecting sales for vans and trucks to reach 300,000 units by the end of the year.”

The sales of vans split by manufacturer maintain the same pattern they have for some months with Ford at the top of the list. The top ten selling van makers in July were as follows:

1. Ford
2. Vauxhall
3. Volkswagen
4. Peugeot
5. Renault
6. Citroen
7. Mercedes
8. Mitsubishi
9. Nissan
10. Fiat

With the van industry looking healthy at the moment there are more and more individuals in the market for van insurance. For those of you not looking to pay anymore than you have to on your van insurance, visit Van Compare. We will compare the prices of over 20 of the UK’s leading insurers on your behalf, ensuring you only pay for the cover you need.