Europcar vs Northgate:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Northgate had more branded searches than Europcar among van hire companies in the United Kingdom. Northgate had about 9,900 branded searches, while Europcar had 590. Northgate made up 15.1% of all van hire company searches we track, and Europcar accounted for 0.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van hire companies, neither Europcar nor Northgate appeared in any of the three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Northgate, about 17 searches for every 1 for Europcar
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 3 answers.
Follow Europcar vs Northgate and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top van hire companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, neither Europcar nor Northgate 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 Northgate more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Europcar and Northgate 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 Northgate, Europcar. 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 Northgate comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Northgate was ahead of Europcar in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 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, Northgate’s share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 9.7% to 15.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van hire companies in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Northgate gained share of searches among van hire companies in the United Kingdom, from 11.5% to 15.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Europcar in the United Kingdom fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 720 to 590 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Europcar’s and Northgate’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
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.