More fleets turning to used vehicles- Arval

THE percentage of UK fleets operating used vehicles is increasing, according to the 2026 Arval Mobility Observatory Barometer.

Today, 58% have preowned cars and vans, compared to 52% last year, while a further 31% are planning to add more in the next three years, against 27% in 2025.

“The manner in which used vehicles have become an established part of the fleet market is an interesting trend. The shortage of new cars and vans during the pandemic prompted many fleets to consider pre-owned options and incorporating them into long-term acquisition strategies has subsequently become recognised as an effective option.”

John Peters, Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK Tweet

“This is enabled by the improved durability and quality of today’s cars and vans. Modern designs maintain safety, operational cost-effectiveness, and good overall cosmetic condition for significantly longer periods than in the past.”

The Barometer shows larger companies are more likely to operate used vehicles – 63% of those with more than 1,000 employees against 59% of those with 100-999 and 56% with fewer than 100.

John said: “To some extent, this is an unexpected finding, but the key is that used vehicles are much more likely to be employed to fill gaps in fleet provision than as a core part of operations. Trying to buy 20 identical used models that can be added to a fleet is going to be difficult – but adding a couple to be operated as pool vehicles is relatively easy.

“Also, used fleet vehicles are currently much more likely to be cars, operated by 53% of our respondents compared to just 15% for vans. This underlines the likely pool fleet role.”

The Arval survey findings are echoed in the experience of Nationwide Vehicle Contracts, winner of our Best Used Broker 2026 award.

“The findings reflect what we’re seeing across our own customer base. Used vehicle business enquiries have increased by 95% over the last 12 months, as companies look for more cost-effective ways to keep drivers on the road.”

Keith Hawes, Director, Nationwide Vehicle Contracts Tweet

He continued: “We’re seeing particularly strong demand for used cars among SMEs. Businesses can typically save up to 30% compared with an equivalent new vehicle lease, helping fleets manage rising costs while still accessing higher-specification vehicles within budget.

“Used electric vehicles are also proving especially attractive to businesses, accounting for 74% of our used business sales in the last 12 months. Improved vehicle quality, longer vehicle lifecycles and faster availability are all helping to support this shift.

“As businesses continue to balance operational needs with financial pressures, we expect used vehicle leasing to remain an increasingly important part of the fleet market. We also expect demand for used van leasing to increase this year, as more fleet operators view used vehicles as a strategic choice rather than a short-term fix.”

Finally, Arval found that UK fleets are operating larger number of used vehicles than the Mobility Observatory Barometer European average of 42% and global average of 41%.

John Peters said: “This may be a trend that can again be tracked back to the pandemic, when right-hand drive vehicle availability was generally poorer, leading more UK businesses to consider used alternatives.”

Does your fleet include vehicles that were not new when you acquired them, or are you considering including such vehicles in the next three years?

Cars and vans	All	Small	Medium	Large
Total	89%	88%	91%	90%
Already including	58%	56%	59%	63%
Considering including	31%	32%	32%	28%

Does your fleet include vehicles that were not new when you acquired them, or are you considering including such vehicles in the next three years?

Cars only	All	Small	Medium	Large
Total	80%	78%	88%	75%
Already including	53%	53%	57%	56%
Considering including	27%	28%	31%	19%

Small = 1-99 employees; medium 100-999; large 1,000 or more

For the 2026 Arval Fleet and Mobility Observatory survey, 10,157 company decision makers were interviewed across 33 countries by the independent research company, Ipsos, out of which 305 interviews took place in the UK.