Positive Q3 for HGV registrations

The SMMT has reported a 14.9% increase in HGV registrations in the third quarter of this year. These figures signify the sixth consecutive quarter of growth and the most new HGVs registered in a quarter since 2019. Zero-emission HGVs also saw an increase, accounting for 0.8% of registrations in Q3. 

In total 11,531 heavy-duty vehicles were registered in the last quarter. Rigid trucks were the most popular with 6,293 units registered and the remaining 5,238 registrations were articulated trucks, up by 16.1%. Box vans, curtainsiders and refuse vehicles were all popular picks but tipper registrations dropped by 9.7% compared to Q3 last year. 

Most of the HGVs put on the road in the UK were in England but registrations were up across Scotland and Wales with Northern Ireland seeing the biggest jump up by 64.6%. More than one in five new HGVs were located in south east England totalling 2,438 units. The north west followed with 1,599 registrations and the west Midlands claimed 1,445 heavy-duty vehicles. Overall Q3 results show 2023 registrations are approaching pre-pandemic levels and are currently sitting at just 5% below 2019.  

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “Britain’s sixth quarter of rising HGV rollout and increasing uptake of zero emission trucks this year underlines the sector’s strong position, with operators in all UK regions getting the latest fuel-efficient and very greenest models. The rate of zero emission truck uptake must increase, however, both drastically and soon – amid significant obstacles to the sector’s transition. With just one public HGV chargepoint in the UK, a national plan for public and depot infrastructure is urgently needed to make fleet decarbonisation a reality for all operators, now and in the long term.”