LCV registrations up 22% as growth streak hits four months

New LCV registrations climbed by just under 22% year on year in July, hitting 28,578 units and marking the fourth straight month of growth for the sector, according to cap hpi. For anyone building a van order book, that's a market with genuine momentum behind it, not a one-off blip.

The year-to-date picture backs that up: registrations are running 4.3% ahead of last year, some 7,745 units higher, taking the 2026 total so far to 187,226. But the same analysis flags a reality check - August is expected to come in well down on July, and the September plate change is imminent, which tends to concentrate demand and distort month-on-month comparisons rather than reflect underlying appetite.

Why this matters: if you're planning fourth-quarter van procurement, don't extrapolate July's spike into your lead-time assumptions. Order books built on a strong plate month can leave you queuing behind everyone else chasing the same September stock.