Industry Insights - May 2025

This month at a glance

Welcome to May’s Industry Insights blog, your monthly summary of all the sector-specific updates which will help you optimise your fleet.

Read on for news of US-UK import rates, a new consultation looking at solar canopies on outdoor car parks, and a host of new LCVs entering the market.

Rate of imports to US decreases

The rate on UK car imports to the US has been cut from 27.5% to 10% – a move which impacts 100,000 vehicles annually.

The US is an important market for UK manufacturers, and represents 17% of car exports in 2024. Most of these exports come from premium brands, such as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Bentley. However, with no date for implementation of the reduced tariff, carmakers are reporting that sales to the US remain frozen.

Average car discount falls in April 2025

Auto Trader research has shown that the average new car discount across all types has reduced from 9.3% in March 2025 to 8.6% in April 2025, with electric falling from 11.7% to 10.3% in the same period.

Auto analysts are predicting that this decrease may be due to the ZEV mandate, which has been amended to offer manufacturer’s more flexibility.

Consultation to mandate solar canopies on outdoor car parks

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has launched a consultation on a proposal to mandate the introduction of solar canopies on new outdoor car parks.

The Government is also looking for feedback on:

• Ways to increase deployment of solar canopies on outdoor car parks.
• Views on what further changes can be made to the planning regime when installing EV charge points.

LCV market update

Ford Pro launches Ford Power Promise to boost electric van uptake

Ford Pro is introducing a package of benefits for commercial vehicle operators that are designed to make switching to electric vans simpler. The Ford Pro Power Promise provides:

• The option of a £10 home charge point with standard installation and a five-year hardware warranty, or an £825 discount on a workplace charging solutions.
• 12 months of complementary access to Ford Pro vehicle management software.
• An eight-year, 100,000-mile-high voltage component and battery warranty.
• Five-year towing assistance to help hard-working vehicles or employees which have broken down.
• Access to more than 33,000 UK public charging points via Ford’s BlueOval Charge Network.

AFP virtual depot app for shared EV charging facilities nears launch

The AFP has launched an online platform that allows fleets to share their EV charging facilities with other businesses. The app will allow members to upload spare charging infrastructure onto the database, which can then be booked out by other members.

New LCVs on the horizon