Liquid Fleet reports 28% fleet growth as demand for short-term leasing rises

Liquid Fleet has reported 28% fleet growth during the first half of 2026, driven by increasing demand from businesses for short-term vehicle leasing and the launch of a dedicated light commercial vehicle (LCV) division.

The vehicle leasing and fleet management company said the strong performance keeps it on track to achieve its target of operating a 5,000-vehicle fleet by 2028.

The growth has been fuelled by employers opting for shorter lease terms to provide staff with business vehicles while avoiding long-term contractual commitments in an uncertain economic environment.

“The first half of 2026 has been very positive for us, and we continue to experience a growth in demand for short-term leasing from corporates as they avoid making too many long-term contractual commitments around their car fleet.

“The demand from rental brokers has also increased as they experience strong and increased demand for short-term vehicles.

“Overall business sentiment is quietly optimistic with everyone still spending and investing whilst keeping a very close eye on cost control, and that includes the OEMs.”

To support further expansion, Liquid Fleet has launched a dedicated LCV sales division following customer demand. While its core proposition remains 12-month leasing, the company is increasingly offering 24-month replacement cycles for commercial vehicle operators seeking to reduce the costs associated with de-fleeting and replacing vehicle fit-outs such as racking, deadlocks, Chapter 8 traffic management equipment and signwriting.

The business now offers these services as part of a one-stop-shop fleet solution.

Liquid Fleet said it is also benefiting from growing manufacturer funding lines and plans to continue expanding its sales team throughout 2026 and into 2027 to support nationwide growth.

Commenting on market conditions, Potter noted that vehicle manufacturers have become more disciplined with supply, choosing to align production more closely with demand rather than offering the high levels of incentives seen in previous years. He suggested this strategy could help protect future residual values.

The company also highlighted continued strength in the used vehicle market, particularly for electric vehicles and ex-fleet stock, with consumer demand supported by higher fuel prices. Liquid Fleet added that early investments in Chinese electric vehicles have delivered strong residual values, prompting further commitments to expand that part of its fleet.

“We continue to build our national growth potential by increasing the size of our sales team and we have strong relationships with OEMs that provide access to a wide range of new cars to satisfy a growth in demand,” Potter said.

“At a used level, the early Chinese cars we purchased are generating strong residuals and we have already committed to an even larger number of similar vehicles to add to our fleet.

“Meanwhile, the interest in EVs continues to rise in the corporate sector while the rental sector is receiving EV enquiries from renters, which shows the EV market continues to make progress.”

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