The UK’s new heavy goods vehicle (HGV) market fell by 9.4% in the second quarter of 2018 (compared with Q2 2017), with 10,670 units registered, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The demand for rigid vehicles fell by 6.5% in Q2, with a 14.7% fall in the 6 to -16-tonne segment and a 1.8% fall in the greater than 16-tonne segment.
Meanwhile, registrations of articulated vehicles fell by 13.2% to 4,365 units. Despite a 13.1% drop in demand, tractor units remained the most popular vehicle, accounting for 40.8% of the market.
Tippers and skip loaders were the only segments to record growth in the quarter, up 23.7% and 11.6% respectively.
The figures for the first half of 2018 painted a similar picture — down 7.8% on the same period in 2017, with 20,455 registrations so far this year.
However, the decline follows a strong performance in 2017, when HGV demand reached its highest level for the
period since 2008.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “While the fall in registrations follows strong demand in 2017, this quarter marks the fourth consecutive decline for the HGV market.
“On-going political and economic uncertainty, coupled with concern around a patchwork of different local-authority clean-air zones, has clearly had an impact.
“We need the right conditions to give operators confidence to invest in their fleets, thereby ensuring that this important market can continue to prosper.”
Meanwhile, The UK’s new bus and coach market fell by 3.6% in Q2 2018 (compared with Q2 2017), marking the sixth consecutive quarter of decline, with 2,029 vehicles joining UK roads.
In Q2, single-deck registrations fell by 12.2%, while those of double-decks fell by just 1.2%. Meanwhile, the demand for minibuses rose by 2.8%, marking the second consecutive quarter of growth after more than a year of decline.
Mr Hawes said: “The latest low-emission Euro VI diesel, hybrid and zero-emission electric buses are crucial to improving urban air quality, so encouraging their uptake should be a priority in order to give operators confidence to invest in their fleets.”