Gross sales of recent vans within the UK got here near file ranges throughout the first six months of 2021 attributable to a growth in dwelling deliveries and the financial system reopening.

However registrations of recent vehicles remained sluggish, with a scarcity of pc chips limiting provides of some fashions.

The Society of Motor Producers and Merchants, which launched the information, stated the business was now battling in opposition to a “lengthy Covid” of provide issues.

This might limit the UK automobile business’s restoration, the SMMT stated.

Demand for electrical vehicles, which remained comparatively sturdy by the pandemic, has continued to rise. In June, they accounted for a couple of in each 10 vehicles bought.

Previous to the pandemic, demand for brand spanking new vans was already very sturdy – in 2019, gross sales within the first six months of the yr have been the very best on file.

Trade consultants say this was largely because of the speedy progress of on-line purchasing and residential deliveries, in addition to the introduction of so-called “clear air zones” in a number of cities, which prompted companies to put money into new autos.

Inevitably, momentum was misplaced throughout the lockdown final yr, and gross sales fell by 20% in contrast with the yr earlier than. However, the hovering recognition of dwelling supply providers meant the vans enterprise suffered much less severely than different components of the auto business.

Now, with the financial system reopening, demand is powerful as soon as once more. Within the first six months of the yr greater than 191,500 have been bought, the third highest complete on file.

That occurred regardless of the persevering with scarcity of pc chips, or semiconductors, which affected manufacturing volumes and deliveries in June, and took a few of the vitality out of the market.

Automotive gross sales, in the meantime, which stay a lot larger than these of economic autos when it comes to general quantity, have didn’t get better on the similar velocity.

Some 186,000 new vehicles have been registered in June, on the face of it a really important enhance of 28% over the identical interval final yr. However the comparability is synthetic; final summer season, showrooms have been solely simply starting to reopen after the primary lockdown, and gross sales have been nonetheless very low.

In comparison with the typical over the previous decade, gross sales have been down 16.4% in June and 26.8% for the primary half of the yr. Whereas there was a surge in demand from firm fleet consumers particularly, the semiconductor scarcity has affected provides, slowing the restoration.

“With the ultimate phases of the UK’s vaccine rollout effectively beneath means and confidence growing, the automotive sector is now battling in opposition to a ‘lengthy Covid’ of auto provide challenges,” defined Mike Hawes, the chief govt of the SMMT.

“The semiconductor shortages arising from Covid-constrained output globally are affecting automobile manufacturing, disrupting provide on sure fashions”.

Regardless of the disruption, gross sales of electrical autos have continued to rise quickly. Within the first half the yr practically 74,000 new battery powered vehicles have been registered – greater than six occasions the determine from the identical interval in 2019.

In June, a couple of in each 10 vehicles bought was electrical, and EVs had a larger share of the market than diesels.

In the meantime, the chip scarcity, which has left some prospects going through lengthy waits for his or her new vehicles, has boosted the second-hand automobile market. In reality, costs of used vehicles, which normally depreciate, have been rising.

“Demand is excessive”, explains Jamie Hamilton, automotive director at Deloitte. “However the restricted availability of recent vehicles signifies that there are even fewer used vehicles coming onto the market. Because of this costs have shot up.

“Sadly, there’s little respite for the business, with the semi-conductor scarcity anticipated to proceed inflicting points all year long, and perhaps even into 2022”.