Toyota Professional has completed its van line-up with the launch of the Proace Max and Proace Max Electric, and now claims to have the widest range of light commercial vehicles of any manufacturer in the UK. 

The brand rejoined the panel van market in 2016 with the introduction of the medium-sized Proace and added the compact Proace City in 2019. Two years later it launched electric versions of both models. 

Gareth Matthews, Toyota Professional’s UK LCV manager, said that in 2023 Toyota’s overall UK van sales exceeded those of its legendary Hilux pick-up truck for the first time. 

With the arrival of the large Proace Max, vans are set to further dominate sales volume. 

“We are growing van volume and [due to the requirement to reduce C02 emissions] fleets out there are buying fewer pick-ups,” he said, 

Matthews claimed supply shortages had influenced sales in the UK. He said the Proace City was currently Toyota’s best-selling van “because we can get our hands on more”. As for the Proace, he said: “We could sell more if we could get more.” 

Toyota Professional runs a network of 147 dealerships in the UK and has assigned a Proace courtesy van to each one for customers to use when their own van is being repaired or serviced. 

“If a customer has a van that breaks, we can give them a replacement,” said Matthews. 

The network is divided regionally into CDAs (customer drive areas), each of which now has a facility that can handle the large Proace Max, he added. 

Matthews claimed Toyota was already well positioned to meet the requirements of the ZEV mandate, which stipulates 10% of a manufacturer’s sales should be zero emission in 2024, rising steadily year by year to 70% in 2030. 

“We set a sales plan out to take the ZEV mandate into account – to sell the right amount of diesel and BEVs,” Matthews said. 

He claimed Toyota’s car-derived van, the petrol-electric Corolla Commercial hybrid, which is only available in the UK, had a “huge role” to play in enabling the brand to comply with the mandate. 

“We have the biggest diversity in the industry,” he claimed, “a vehicle for every customer in a multitude of drivetrains.” 

Going forward hydrogen is also likely to form part of the mix. Toyota has started testing Hydrogen-powered Hilux prototypes this year, although no launch date is confirmed for a production model. 

Referring to the ZEV mandate, Matthews stressed: “It’s not just ticking a box for the government, our duty of care is to help customers make the transition [to zero-emission LCVs].” 

Toyota Professional is targeting a 5.9% share of the UK’s LCV market this year, rising to 6.8% in 2025. 

“We’ve started to be recognised as a serious CV player,” said Matthews.