Leasing fleet grows despite uncertainty

According to the BVRLA’s latest Leasing Outlook report, which contains data up to the end of Q2 2022, the association’s leasing fleet has continued to grow despite expanding market uncertainty as new crises emerge.

While lead times of new vehicles appear to have plateaued, the industry faces new threats in the form of the cost-of-living crisis and concerns over the nation’s economy. On this backdrop, the fleet has grown 2.9% year-on-year as BVRLA members demonstrate their resilience and adaptability.

Vans have again been the fastest-growing part of the association’s leasing fleet and are up 7.4% in the 12 months to Q2 2022. The car fleet achieved modest growth (1.4%), while the resurgence of Business Contract Hire continued and is up 3.8% after a sustained period of decline.

While the annual data paints a positive picture, there are early signs that the market is slowing down, resulting in a small decline in the overall size of the leasing fleet from Q1 to Q2 2022.

A key driver of the annual growth in lease car registrations has been the popularity of salary sacrifice programmes, with more employers offering team members a tangible financial incentive to combat the cost-of-living crisis. There are now over 35,000 salary sacrifice cars on the BVRLA leasing fleet, up 33% year-on-year.

The move towards electric has continued, with battery electric vehicles growing against all other fuel types. This includes against hybrid as more companies opt to switch directly from ICE models to pure EV alternatives. See the full report by clicking here: Leasing Outlook Report – October 2022 on the BVRLA website.