- Ford Transit Custom best-selling van in UK
- Stats for 2025 so far
- Ford Transit and Ford Ranger pick-up make up the top 3
- Electric vans on the rise - but pick-ups take a hit
Ford remains the UK’s most popular van brand - and the Transit Custom leads the charts once again with 20,271 registrations in 2025 so far.
That's according to the latest industry stats from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
It shows the Transit Custom (check out our latest Ford Transit Custom and E-Transit Custom lease deals) has notched almost double the sales of its nearest rival, the larger Ford Transit.
The Ford Ranger pick-up took third place with 9,366 new registrations - making the entire top 3 a distinctly Ford affair.
May was also a good month for the Peugeot Partner, with 1,216 registrations, which is a strong showing for a compact model.
It's not all good news, though.
New van sales in the UK fell by nearly 12% in May.
That marks the sixth month in a row of decline, as uncertainty and higher operating costs put the brakes on fleet renewals and small business upgrades.
Demand fell across every major van category. Larger vans between 2.5 and 3.5 tonnes – the most popular type in the UK – dropped by 14% year-on-year to 14,652 units. Medium vans fell 9.2% to 4,065, while small vans were down 7.8% to just 673.
Pick-up sales take a hit
One of the most significant changes this spring has been a sharp drop in pick-up sales. Registrations were down 12.7% in May, and that’s being linked directly to new tax rules introduced in April.
The rules mean double-cab pick-ups are no longer taxed like vans for Benefit-in-Kind and capital allowances, hitting businesses and sole traders with higher costs.
The SMMT is calling on the government to delay the changes by at least a year, warning that higher costs may force buyers to stick with older, more polluting vehicles, just as efficient models like the Ford Ranger PHEV and KGM Musso EV start arriving.
Electric van sales are growing, but slowly
Sales of fully electric vans are on the rise, with registrations up 50% in May compared to the same month last year. However, the overall numbers remain small, with just 1,731 electric vans registered, accounting for 7.6% of the market. Year-to-date, the share is 8.2% – only half of what the government is targeting for 2025 under its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate.
Mike Hawes of the SMMT welcomed the progress, but said more needs to be done to help van buyers make the switch: “Accelerating LCV-centric and affordable chargepoint rollout is the bold next step that van operators and manufacturers need now.”
Charging remains one of the biggest barriers, especially for businesses needing depot-based or shared infrastructure.
That’s a concern echoed by Matt Hawkins, head of electric fleet provider Flexis UK&I: “Businesses are ready to make the transition, but they need confidence – in the charging network, in costs, and in long-term support. That’s why stronger coordination between government, industry, and infrastructure providers is essential.”
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