HGV registrations dip in 2025, but electric truck uptake surges

The Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) has published its annual vehicle registration roundup, which reveals a 10 per cent reduction in the number of HGVs registered overall in 2025 compared to the previous year.

SMMT reports that the market for trucks contracted in every quarter last year, which it said reflected the challenging economic backdrop, as well as a normalising of fleet renewal after three years of sustained growth following the pandemic. 40,504 new trucks joined UK roads overall in 2025, against 44,988 in the previous year.

The drop is similar to that for light commercials, figures for which were published in January and showed a 10.3 per cent decline.

Of the reporting subcategories for artics and rigids, only two-axle artics saw an increase against 2024, of 8.9 per cent. Registrations of artics with three or more axles were down by 6.3 per cent, resulting in a total 4.3 per cent decline across all artics.

Rigids over 16 tonnes were down 12.4 per cent against 2024 last year, while those of 6 to 16 tonnes were down 17.3 per cent. Overall, rigids were down 14.1 per cent.

The box van segment saw the most significant decline in volume, down 28.1 per cent, but tipper and curtain-sided trucks were also down by 11.1 per cent and 26.2 per cent respectively. However, the refuse disposal truck market performed strongly, rising by 22.6 per cent in 2025.

There was more good news on the zero-emission HGV front, with uptake rising by 170.5 per cent year-on-year, representing a total of 587 new trucks registered in 2025. This is a new record for the UK, partly attributable to a tripling of year-on-year demand in the fourth quarter, and means the milestone of 1,000 zero-emission truck registrations overall has now been exceeded.

SMMT said the success on zero-emission trucks was driven by “impressive product rollout, with 21 different models across a range of use cases registered last year, and enhanced public grants”. But it warned that zero-emission trucks still represented just one in every 71 new vehicles registered, with adoption still in the very early stages.

“Operators face tight margins and uncertainty on how to integrate zero emission vehicles into their fleets, especially given delays of up to 15 years for depot-to-grid connections, which poses a major disincentive,” said SMMT.

It warned that while improvements to the plug-in truck grant and depot charging scheme would help to incentivise the transition, operators “cannot commit to investment without the guarantee of timely infrastructure delivery”.

Mike Hawes, chief executive of SMMT, said: “The new HGV market continues to normalise amid economic constraints on fleet investment, but a return to growth in 2026 is needed so that UK businesses can keep moving with the latest, cleanest vehicle technology.

“Innovative new models are helping to lift zero emission truck uptake but to unlock real growth, we need faster depot grid connections and planning approvals – only then can more operators invest and capitalise on the benefits of zero emission fleets.”

There was good news for the bus, coach and minibus sector, meanwhile, registrations for which were up 10.4 per cent last year against 2024.