Vans now account for over 18% of UK total mileage
Tue, 22 Oct 2024
According to the latest road traffic estimates from the Department for Transport (DfT), over 18% of the total mileage covered in the UK is driven in vans – almost a fifth of all journeys.
The figures show that vans accounted for 58.7 billion miles in the year up to June 2024, compared with 57.6 billion in June 2023, and 53.5 billion pre-pandemic.
That’s up 1.9% year-on-year and a rise of over 20% compared with 2019, the last pre-Covid statistic.
During the pandemic, many people used online shopping services more than before, leading to a continued and gradual rise in van mileage since.
The number of vans on UK roads has also increased, from 4.2 million in 2019 to 4.8 million in 2024. Vans now account for 11% of vehicles on the road in the UK.
The increase in van mileage is due largely to the growth in home delivery services, with online sales now accounting for over 25% of all retails sales, the majority of which require a van to complete.
There has also been a substantial rise in the number of electric vans on the UK’s roads, from 8000 in 2019 to 73,500 in June 2024.
