Van insurance groups explained (2025)

Since 2016, all new vans in the UK have been grouped between 21 and 50, with lower numbers usually meaning cheaper insurance. In this guide, we’ve updated the tables with the latest 2025 data, showing where the UK’s most popular vans.

At Zego, we provide business van insurance for tradespeople, couriers and small businesses, offering fair prices for good drivers and cover that keeps you moving.

Here you’ll quickly see:

• The latest 2025 insurance group ranges for top UK vans.
• How the group system works for vans registered after 2016.
• Why choosing the right model can save you money on insurance.

This is your up-to-date guide to van insurance groups.

Updated for 2026 — how the 1-50 group system works, how Thatcham's new Vehicle Risk Rating is starting to replace it, and why the group is rarely the thing driving your quote.

Since 2016, every new van in the UK has been grouped between 21 and 50, with lower numbers usually meaning cheaper insurance. From 2024 onwards, a newer system called the Vehicle Risk Rating has started rolling out alongside it. This guide explains both, which vans sit where, and the factors that actually move your quote more than the group number.

At Zego, we provide Zego's business van insurance for tradespeople, couriers and small businesses, offering fair prices for good drivers and cover that keeps you moving.

Here's what you'll find below:

The current group ranges for popular UK vans.

How the post-2016 system works and where Vehicle Risk Rating fits in.

Why the group number alone rarely predicts your actual quote.

The legitimate ways to get your van premium down.

What are van insurance groups?

Van insurance groups are a numbered classification system that rates every van sold in the UK by how risky and expensive it is to insure. The lower the group, the cheaper the cover, in most cases. For vans registered from 2016 onwards, groups range from 21 to 50. For older vans registered before 2016, groups range from 1 to 20 under the legacy system.

The groups are set by a panel that includes members from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) and the Lloyd's Market Association (LMA), using data from Thatcham Research.

How are van insurance groups determined?

Six specific factors decide which group a van lands in:

Parts cost. Vans with cheaper replacement parts sit in lower groups because claims cost insurers less.

Overall repair cost. Linked to parts but also includes labour, paint, and bodyshop time. Specialist or aluminium-body vans cost more to repair.

Performance. Vans with higher top speeds and faster acceleration sit in higher groups because they're more likely to be in serious claims.

Engine size. Larger engines usually mean more power and more risk, which pushes the group up.

Weight and size. Heavier vans do more damage in accidents and cost more to fix or tow, so they land higher in the table.

Security. Vans with approved alarms, immobilisers, and deadlocks fitted as standard drop into lower groups because theft risk is reduced.

The table below shows example group ranges for popular UK vans as a rough guide. Actual groups vary by trim, year, and engine, so always check the specific model.

How is Vehicle Risk Rating changing the system in 2026?

Thatcham Research rolled out a new system called the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) in 2024, and it's starting to replace the 1-50 group rating for newer vans. Instead of one overall group number, VRR rates a vehicle across five separate domains: performance, safety, repair cost, repair time, and theft risk. Each gets its own rating, letting insurers price more precisely than a single group allowed.

For van drivers, this matters because a van that used to sit in, say, group 38 under the old system might now show as mid-range on repair cost but high-risk on theft (vans are among the most-stolen vehicles in the UK). VRR gives insurers the granularity to reward good security and penalise easy-to-steal vans more heavily than the old system could.

Older vans keep their 1-50 group rating. Newer vans from 2024 onwards increasingly use VRR. Both systems are in use across the 2026 market.

How have van insurance groups changed over time?

Van insurance groups have evolved twice. Before 2016, vans used a 20-group system running from 1 to 20. From 2016 onwards, the industry adopted a 30-group system running from 21 to 50 for newly registered vans, giving insurers more room to differentiate models. From 2024 onwards, the Vehicle Risk Rating system began its staged rollout.

So three frameworks now coexist:

Vans registered before 2016 sit in the legacy 1-20 groups.

Vans registered from 2016 to 2023 sit in the 21-50 groups.

Vans registered from 2024 onwards increasingly use the five-domain Vehicle Risk Rating alongside a transitional group number.

What do the letters after a van insurance group mean?

Letters after a group number (for example 23E) are Thatcham's security rating. Each tells you how well the van's factory-fitted security compares to what insurers expect for that class of vehicle. Six letter codes are in use:

A — security is acceptable for the group.

E — exceeds the security requirement, so the group rating has been lowered.

D — doesn't meet the security requirement, so the group rating has been increased.

P — provisional, used when security data wasn't available when the model was released.

U — security standard is unacceptable. Some insurers require upgrades before they'll write cover.

G — imported vehicle, not built for the UK market (group ratings only apply to UK-market vans).

When you buy cover, you don't need to tell your insurer the group or letter. They already have it.

Why is van insurance more expensive than car insurance?

Van insurance is typically 2 to 4 times more expensive than an equivalent-spec car, even for the same driver. Four reasons explain the gap:

Theft rates are far higher. The Office for National Statistics shows van theft has risen steadily since 2020. Tool theft and full-vehicle theft are both significantly above the rate for passenger cars, and insurers price accordingly.

Most vans are used for work. Business use carries higher claim risk than social, domestic, and pleasure use because of higher mileage, more unfamiliar postcodes, and the contents being carried.

Contents are expensive. Even basic tradesman kit runs into thousands of pounds. A single tool theft claim can exceed the value of a year's premium.

Repair complexity is higher. Vans are usually larger, heavier, and more structurally complex than cars. Labour hours per claim run higher.

What actually drives a van insurance quote, beyond the group?

The insurance group is one input among many, and often not even the biggest. Five other factors typically move the quote more:

Use class. Social, domestic and pleasure is cheapest. Carriage of own goods (tradespeople) is mid-range. Hire and reward (paid delivery or passenger carriage) is the most expensive. Getting this wrong by declaring the wrong use is one of the top reasons claims get voided.

Overnight parking location. A van parked on a driveway or in a garage is a fraction of the cost of one parked on-street in a high-theft postcode. Some postcodes can double the premium on their own.

Tools kept overnight. A widely missed factor. If you store tools in the van overnight, declare it. Undeclared tools are a standard exclusion on most policies, and an undisclosed stash can void the whole claim.

Modifications. Roof racks, internal racking, tow bars, and signwriting all affect the quote and all need declaring. Undeclared mods are the second-most common reason claims get refused.

Driver profile. Age, NCD, claims history, and convictions swing premiums more than the vehicle itself. A 40-year-old tradesman with 9 years NCD pays a fraction of what a 23-year-old newly-qualified driver pays in the same van.

Can I drive a van with a Category B licence?

Yes. A standard UK driving licence with a Category B classification lets you drive vans weighing up to 3,500 kg (3.5 tonnes) gross vehicle weight. For vans between 3,500 kg and 7,500 kg, you need a C1 licence. Drivers who passed their test before 1 January 1997 have C1 automatically (grandfathered). Drivers who passed after that date need to take the C1 test separately.

Electric vans benefit from a weight derogation. Category B licence holders can drive electric vans up to 4,250 kg because the battery weight would otherwise push them over 3.5 tonnes unfairly.

What are the cheapest vans to insure in the UK?

The cheapest vans to insure share three characteristics: small-to-medium size, good factory security, and a large owner base that gives insurers plenty of claims data. Popular picks include:

Ford Transit Connect insurance — compact, well-known, and usually settles in the lower 20s for the group.

Citroën Berlingo insurance — small, efficient, and one of the cheapest to insure across the range.

Peugeot Partner insurance — essentially the Berlingo's twin, with similar group ratings.

VW Caddy insurance — holds its value and has strong security as standard.

Ford Transit Custom insurance — the most popular medium van in the UK, so the claims data is deep and competition among insurers is strong.

Vauxhall Combo insurance — small, cheap to fix, often in the lower half of the group range.

Newer vans with lower mileage and up-to-date safety features usually insure for less than older or higher-mileage models of the same type, because fault-claim risk is lower and theft security is stronger.

Renault Trafic insurance

The Renault Trafic sits in the middle of the van group range and is a popular choice for tradespeople and delivery drivers thanks to its cargo space, efficient diesel engines, and long service intervals. Insurance quotes for a Trafic vary widely depending on use class, overnight parking, and whether tools are stored in the van. As a benchmark, a 40-year-old tradesman with 9 years NCD and carriage-of-own-goods use can expect to insure a midspec Trafic for £700 to £1,200 a year in 2026, depending on postcode.

If you use the Trafic for courier work or paid delivery, you need hire and reward cover rather than standard business use. Zego's hire and reward van insurance is built for this.

Telematics van insurance with Zego

Zego's app-based telematics insurance prices you on how you actually drive, not on assumptions about your age or postcode. Zego's telematics car insurance uses the Sense app to measure braking, cornering, speed, and time of day, and it rewards consistent, smooth driving with lower premiums. For van drivers, this matters because standard van insurance pricing tends to hit young and newly-qualified tradespeople hardest, and telematics gives them a path to earn lower rates on their actual driving rather than wait out the NCD clock.

The app is free to install, works on both iOS and Android, and gives a driving score you can see in real time.

FAQs

What insurance group is a van?

Vans sit in groups 1-50. Vans made before 2016 use groups 1-20 (legacy system), with group 20 the most expensive. Vans made from 2016 onwards use groups 21-50, with 21 the cheapest. Vans registered from 2024 onwards increasingly carry a Vehicle Risk Rating alongside their transitional group number.

What insurance group is a Mercedes Sprinter?

The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter typically sits between groups 5 and 18 on the legacy 1-20 scale, or higher equivalents on the 21-50 scale for newer models. Specific group depends on engine size, wheelbase, and payload.

What insurance group is a Ford Transit van?

Ford Transit group varies by model. For Transits registered from 2016 onwards, the Transit Custom typically sits in groups 23 to 29, the full-size Transit from 23 to 50 depending on spec and wheelbase, and the Transit Connect from 24 to 33.

Are vans cheaper to insure than cars?

No. Van insurance is typically 2 to 4 times more expensive than car insurance for the same driver, mostly because of higher theft rates, business use, and the value of contents. A group 30 van will usually cost far more than a group 30 car.

Does leaving tools in the van overnight affect my insurance?

Yes, and it needs declaring. Most standard policies exclude tools kept overnight unless you've specifically added tools cover or declared them at quote stage. An undeclared tool stash is one of the most common reasons theft claims get refused.

What happens if I don't declare a modification on my van?

Undeclared modifications (roof racks, internal racking, tow bars, signwriting, alloys, uprated seats) can void your policy entirely. Always declare mods at quote, or tell your insurer if you fit anything mid-policy. The small admin hassle is vastly cheaper than a refused claim.

Do electric vans have their own insurance groups?

Yes, and they usually sit slightly higher than equivalent diesel vans at the moment because of battery repair and replacement costs. The gap is narrowing as insurers build better claims data on electric vans, similar to what's happened with electric cars.

References

Thatcham Research — Vehicle Risk Rating. Official source on the new five-domain insurance rating system replacing the legacy 1-50 group for newer vans.

gov.uk — Driving licences and vans. Current Category B and C1 rules, including the 4,250 kg electric van derogation.

Association of British Insurers (ABI) — Motor insurance. Industry data on van theft, claims trends, and the ABI/LMA group rating panel.