Europcar vs Thrifty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Europcar had more branded searches than Thrifty among van hire companies in the United Kingdom. Europcar had about 590 branded searches, while Thrifty had 480. Europcar made up 0.9% of all van hire company searches we track, and Thrifty accounted for 0.73%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van hire companies, neither Europcar nor Thrifty appeared in any of the three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Europcar, about 23% more searches than Thrifty
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 3 answers.
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Top van hire companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, neither Europcar nor Thrifty showed up in any of the three answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Arnold Clark1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Northgate0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Hertz0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers- Europcar0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
Thrifty0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about van hire companies
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where's the best place to hire a van in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which van hire company should I use for moving house?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Who has the cheapest van hire in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“van hire”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Europcar or Thrifty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Europcar and Thrifty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six van hire companies we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Europcar, Thrifty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Arnold Clark | Northgate | Hertz | Europcar | Thrifty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39.9% | 39.9% | 9.7% | 8% | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.3% | 43.1% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 1.1% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.8% | 40.8% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 0.88% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 40.6% | 40.6% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 38.5% | 38.5% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 0.83% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.3% | 39.3% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 0.86% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.5% | 34.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 0.92% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 39.4% | 39.4% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 0.86% | 1% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.6% | 34.9% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 0.93% | 0.93% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.6% | 38.6% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 1% | 0.84% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.6% | 38.6% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 1% | 0.84% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.3% | 33.8% | 15.1% | 8.2% | 0.9% | 0.73% |
Europcar sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “europcar van hire”.
How has the Europcar and Thrifty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Europcar took it in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Europcar’s share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 1.1% to 0.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 720 to 590.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrifty’s share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 1.5% to 0.73%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 480.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van hire companies in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Europcar’s and Thrifty’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among van hire companies
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