Commercial van sales in the US are down 22% in the first three quarters of 2020, but sales recovered somewhat in Q3 when the segment matched the overall market in its 9% decline. Still, commercial vans now make up just 2.8% of the US car market, down from 3% last year. Small vans are down 17% this year, while full-sized vans are down 23%.
The Ford Transit sees an 11% drop in deliveries in Q2 and recovers to -20% for the year, but its nearest rival Chevrolet Express is down 33% in the quarter and 39% for the year so far. That model’s sibling GMC Savana is in even greater difficulty at -43% for the year, but it was down just 4% in the third quarter. The RAM ProMaster outsold the Express in Q3 with sales up 10% to claim second place of the segment but remains in third place YTD with sales down 19%. The only nameplate to improve so far this year is the redesigned Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, up 24% in the first nine months and up 28% in Q3. It moved past the Ford E-Series which is down 22% for the year. The Nissan NV van is down 34% for the year (-39% in Q3), just as Nissan has announced production will end for the model which had a record year in 2019 but remains a niche player at just 3.5% share of the class.
In the compact commercial van part of the segment, which accounts for 18.6% of total van sales in the US (up from 17.6% in 2019), Ford also dominates with 46.2% share for the Transit Connect. Altogether, Ford has a 49.1% share of the commecial van market in the United States with its three models. The Nissan NV200 sees its deliveries decline by 11% after a 10% gain in Q3 and consolidates its second place ahead of the RAM ProMaster City, which is down 25% for the year but was actually up 1% in the third quarter. The Mercedes-Benz Metris saw stable sales in Q3 and is down 4% which makes it the best performer among small vans. Chevrolet has given up on this segment that will have only four players moving forward.
US commercial van sales 2020 Q1-Q3
| Van segment | 2020 | 2019 | Change | Share | |
| 1 | Ford Transit | 93.670 | 116.983 | -20% | 31,9% |
| 2 | Chevrolet Express | 37.190 | 60.805 | -39% | 12,7% |
| 3 | Ram ProMaster | 33.496 | 41.301 | -19% | 11,4% |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | 26.942 | 21.767 | 24% | 9,2% |
| 5 | Ford Transit Connect | 25.241 | 31.390 | -20% | 8,6% |
| 6 | Ford E-series | 25.186 | 32.226 | -22% | 8,6% |
| 7 | Nissan NV200 | 12.752 | 14.311 | -11% | 4,3% |
| 8 | GMC Savana | 12.009 | 21.090 | -43% | 4,1% |
| 9 | Nissan NV van | 10.376 | 15.676 | -34% | 3,5% |
| 10 | Ram ProMaster City | 7.438 | 9.952 | -25% | 2,5% |
| 11 | Mercedes-Benz Metris | 6.829 | 7.078 | -4% | 2,3% |
| 12 | Chevrolet City Express | 2.404 | 3.319 | -28% | 0,8% |
| Segment total | 293.533 | 375.898 | -22% |
Source: Manufacturers.