New research reveals that 36% of fleets plan to purchase second-hand light commercial vehicles (LCVs) by 2028.
The data, from the 2025 Arval Mobility Observatory Fleet and Mobility Barometer, highlighted that 13% of fleets already operate with a portion of second-hand vans.
Head of Arval Mobility Observatory in the UK, John Peters, said: “Taken together, these figures indicate that 49% of fleets are either operating used vans or intend to do so, which is a significant percentage. What is interesting here is to compare the van findings with the corresponding figures for cars. With 47% of fleets already having used cars and 22% planning to add more, the level of adoption is much higher.”
When compared to car fleets, fewer van fleets have adopted used vehicles. But Peters believes this is not due to a lack of interest, but rather because these vehicles are harder to find, especially in bulk, on the used market.
Peters continued: “In the future, they hope that improved supply will enable them to buy more.”
The report showed that, regardless of fleet size, used van acquisition varied little. Among small companies, 11% already operate used vans, and 36% plan to acquire more in the next three years. For medium-sized companies, 12% currently use used vans, with 37% planning to add more in the future. Among large companies, 17% operate used vans and 36% have plans to add more units.
On this, Peters said: “To an extent, these figures are surprising. We’d expect there to be both more existing use and more future enthusiasm for used vans among smaller and medium companies who can more comfortably buy low numbers of vehicles on the second-hand market. However, we are seeing a consistent level of interest across the board.”
With 49% of fleets using or planning to buy used vans, the UK lags behind other countries in terms of adoption. In Italy, the figure stands at 53%, in France at 63%, and in Germany at 64%. However, with interest remaining high, this may shift in the coming years.
