Van registrations surged ahead of larger truck registrations in the commercial sector from the start of the year up to June, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

Total commercial vehicle registrations increased 25.8% year-on-year in July to 27,938, and from the start of the year up to June commercial vehicle were up 13.1%, to 199,906 registrations, said SMMT in a statement.

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This growth was driven almost entirely by vans, which grew 34.5% in July to 24,764 registrations, and 18.9% for the year to 180,296 registrations, with truck registrations falling 16.3% year-on-year in July to 3,174, and 21.9% to 19,610 year-to-date.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said; "The truck sector is continuing a downward trend brought about by an influx of orders at the end of 2013 due to incoming Euro-6 standards. There is increasing positivity in the market, however, which should see registrations return to normal levels over the coming months."

On the used van front, trade valuation company’s MyCarCheck.com/TradeDavid Hill said; "July sales faded mid-month as predicted but prices remain steady despite the market going quiet."

"Supply is short when it comes to small vans. Since the few Peugeot 207s around were snapped up by the trade there has been little else to fill those empty spaces."

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Hill said the Ford Transit Connect was selling well in the larger van section.
Buses and Coaches

Separately the SMMT revealed that bus and coach registrations grew 20.3% year-on-year in July to 605. This left the year-to-date figure at 4599, up 5.4% on the same period in 2013.

Purpose built buses drove the July growth, thanks to a 69.8% rise in registrations to 304. This wasn’t enough to bring the year-to-date amount to the same level as it was in 2013, at there were 4.1% less registrations year-to-date in 2014 compared to the same period 2013.

In contrast, coaches fell 27.4% year-on-year to 61 in July however registrations have grown 7.4% year-to-date to 640.