Electric van registrations rose by 58% to achieve their strongest October on record, despite uptake remaining less than half the level required by the ZEV mandate.
A total of 3,369 battery electric light commercial vehicles were registered during October, giving them a 12.9% monthly market share, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The wider new light commercial vehicle market grew by 11.4% to 25,510 vans, pickups and 4x4s, marking a seventh consecutive month of growth. Year-to-date registrations increased by 4.8% to 276,885.
Large vans continued to provide most of the volume, with registrations rising by 12.9% to 18,560 and accounting for 72.8% of the market. Medium van demand increased by 14.3% to 3,825.
Small van registrations declined by 11.7% to 462, while pickups fell by 17.7% to 1,764. Demand for 4x4s more than doubled to 899.
Electric vans reach 12.9% share
The October electric van performance lifted the year-to-date share to 11%, supported by a choice of more than 40 zero-emission models.
However, manufacturers are continuing to use heavy discounts to stimulate demand and reduce potential ZEV mandate compliance costs, according to the SMMT. The organisation said it expects the overall LCV market to grow by 4.2% to 329,000 registrations during 2026.
Its latest outlook forecasts that battery electric vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes will finish the year with a 10.4% share, 13.6 percentage points below the mandate’s 24% headline target.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “Seven months of new van market growth reflects a slight recovery in buyer confidence after 2025, but the fragility of this confidence makes the EV transition particularly tough to deliver. While electric van uptake is accelerating rapidly, demand remains far behind the optimistic and unrealistic expectations of the mandate.”
Mandate gap set to widen
The SMMT expects electric van share to reach 14.9% in 2027, compared with a 34% mandate target. Its forecast for 2028 stands at 18.8%, against a target of 46%.
It is calling for a more realistic mandate trajectory, continued purchase incentives, faster grid connections for depots and more public charging facilities suitable for commercial vehicles.
Sue Robinson, chief executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association, said: “The government’s ongoing review of the ZEV Mandate must deliver realistic targets, alongside greater investment in charging infrastructure and support for businesses making the transition to electric vehicles.”
Pickup registrations were down by 52.9% across the first 10 months of 2026 following tax changes that treat double-cab models as cars for benefit-in-kind and capital allowance purposes.
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