Mathilde Carlier
Research Expert covering transportation and logistics
Heavy Goods Vehicles in the United Kingdom - Statistics & Facts
The heavy goods vehicle market in the United Kingdom has faced unprecedented challenges throughout 2020 and 2021. Heavy goods vehicle registrations bounced back above their pre-pandemic levels in 2021, reaching 504,600 vehicles in circulation. Still, the truck driver shortage rattled the market, resulting from an aging workforce and Brexit. With the ongoing economic uncertainty faced by the UK, the country's overall commercial vehicle production in 2021 did not offset the output drop linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these issues, the UK reported one of Europe's youngest medium and heavy commercial vehicle fleets, at an average of 9.8 years old.
Stellantis was the leading commercial vehicle automaker in the UK in 2021, with an output of over 54,000 units. As of the second quarter of 2022, its Fiat Ducato was the most registered vehicle model in the UK. However, despite Stellantis' apparent popularity, DAF Trucks was the best-selling HGV brand in 2021, reporting over 11,500 new sales in the UK market.
A Diverse HGV Market
In 2021, tippers were one of the most common types of heavy goods vehicles, with some 40,500 licensed units. Between 2010 and 2021, the number of licensed dropside vehicles remained relatively steady and accumulated to 22,000 in 2021. In contrast, curtain-sided commercial vehicles rose three percent year-over-year after the pandemic to 34,200 units in 2021. Most of the heavy goods vehicles on the road in the UK were vehicles over 41 metric tons. This weight class amounted to 131,100 units, followed by HGVs between eight and 18 metric tons at 105,100 units.Stellantis was the leading commercial vehicle automaker in the UK in 2021, with an output of over 54,000 units. As of the second quarter of 2022, its Fiat Ducato was the most registered vehicle model in the UK. However, despite Stellantis' apparent popularity, DAF Trucks was the best-selling HGV brand in 2021, reporting over 11,500 new sales in the UK market.
The Alternative Fuel Segment Is Still Underdeveloped
Despite the increase in HGV sales across nations in 2021, the alternative fuel segment of the market remains underdeveloped. Diesel was the leading fuel type for medium and heavy commercial vehicles in the UK, at 98.6 percent of the vehicles in circulation in 2020. This share remained stable compared to 2019. At 0.2 percent, hybrid HGVs were the most popular alternative fuel segment, followed by plug-in electric HGVs. Around 520 battery-electric HGVs were licensed in the UK in 2021, compared to 28,307 fully electric light goods vehicles. Low-emission HGVs have fallen behind their light goods counterparts partly due to a lack of charging infrastructure adapted to heavy long-haul vehicles.
