New van and truck sales figures show month on month sales were up 24.1% on 2010 and up 24.3% on the rolling year. The figures show an ongoing recovery for the commercial vehicle market with April being the 15th consecutive month in which the market has improved.

Sue Robinson, director of the RMI National Franchised Dealers Association which represents commercial vehicle and franchised car retailers across the UK and Northern Ireland, commented “The RMI expect truck and van sales growth to continue partly due to the implementation of the Low Emission Zone within the M25 area in January 2012. Commercial vehicle owners are aware of the need to buy more carbon friendly vehicles to avoid the charges.

“Yet again articulated tractors used in the distribution trade lead the growth in registrations while the rigid truck market stayed similar to that in 2010.”

April van registrations were up 21.4% to 18,081, the rolling year is up 25.5% to 243,231.

"Demonstrating an ongoing resurgence of confidence in the commercial vehicle market, April recorded the 15th successive monthly rise for new van registrations, up by 21% in the month. Truck figures saw even healthier growth, up steeply by 40%, the seventh successive monthly rise," said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. "Year to date figures for almost every sector were up significantly on 2010, a trend that is likely to continue throughout the year."