In a tough market for new LCVs that has seen three consecutive months of falling sales, small vans bucked the trend in February by posting a rise in registrations of 55.3% to 427 units, according to the SMMT.
Over the first two months of the year, sales of these sub-two-tonne models were up 74.6% to 1,095. These figures represent a contrast to the same period last year when this niche sector shrank by 20% and looked as though it could be in terminal decline.
The arrival on the market of microvans such as the Bento, which is manufactured by Renault’s mobility brand Mobilize, has no doubt given the segment a much-needed shot in the arm.
The Bento is an electric quadricycle designed for urban deliveries, measuring 2.54m long.
A 10.3kWh battery allows a range of up to 93 miles between charges. Power comes from a 48V electric motor, taken from the hybrid version of Renault’s Austral passenger car. The Bento’s cargo box has a 649-litre capacity.
Sales of compact vans weighing between 2.0 and 2.5-tonnes tumbled 33% to 2,119 in February year-on-year and were down 31.4% to 5,626 in the year to date.
Three compact vans were among the 10 best-selling LCVs during the first two months of the year: the Citroen Berlingo, Peugeot Partner and Ford Transit Courier.
Electric vans are strongly represented in compact van sectors and, according to the SMMT, overall BEV sales grew 55.1% in February year-on-year to 1,413 units, equating to a market share of 9.7%. Despite this increase, it remains well short of the 16% market share stipulated by the government for 2025 in its ZEV Mandate.
According to the leasing comparison website Leasing.com, the Nissan Townstar and Renault Kangoo E-Tech were two of the models leading demand for electric vans in 2024, accounting for 27% and 20% of enquiries on the website respectively.
Stellantis has launched a new Plus trim level for its compact vans – the Citroen Berlingo, Fiat Doblo, Peugeot Partner and Vauxhall Combo.
Standard equipment with the new mid-range spec includes a 10in touchscreen with Apple Carplay and Android Auto connectivity and ‘natural’ voice recognition.
Also standard is a three-seat bench seat with a load-through bulkhead (replacing the entry-level single passenger seat and solid bulkhead), which provides an increased load volume of up to 4.4m3. An electric parking brake is also included, while the vans are all available with a choice of diesel or electric powertrains.
Prices for the Berlingo with the new spec start at £21,595 (excluding VAT) for a diesel version, and £26,455 (excluding VAT and including the government’s plug-in Van Grant) for an EV.
These prices are the same for the Doblo, while for the Partner they are £23,055 and £27,580 respectively, and for the Combo they are £23,575 and £28,100 respectively.
Dacia has introduced an LCV version of its new Spring EV (pictured above), which it is billing as the UK’s most affordable compact electric van.
The model is priced at £14,995 excluding VAT and is also eligible for a £2,500 plug-in van grant. Based on the Spring car, with the rear seats removed and a mesh bulkhead installed, the Spring Cargo has a 370kg payload, with a 1,085-litre load space.
The model comes with a 65hp electric motor and a 26.8kWh battery, allowing a range of up to 140 miles on the WLTP mixed cycle. The battery can be charged from 20–80% in 45 minutes.
Standard equipment with the Spring Cargo includes a 10in infotainment screen with sat-nav and smartphone connectivity, a USB port, cruise control, air conditioning, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, and bi-directional vehicle-to-
load capability.
Turning to industry news and under Peugeot’s long-standing partnership with Royal Mail, which has seen it supplying vans since 2009, and electric vans since 2014, the brand supplied the postal service with a further 2,100 BEVs before Christmas, including 1,100 e-Partners. The new vans, part of Royal Mail’s plan to achieve Net Zero by 2040, are charged on-site at Royal Mail’s delivery offices via the company’s 100% renewable electricity supply.
In other industry news, vehicle management company XLCR has provided appliance repair company NAC with a new van fleet. The deal includes more than 35 vehicles, including Nissan Townstar and Citroen Berlingo vans. NAC has expanded its fleet due to company growth and to replace outdated vehicles previously supplied by other providers.
