Green Motion vs Thrifty:Which is more popular in the United Kingdom?
In September 2026, Green Motion and Thrifty were level in searches among car hire companies in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 8.1K branded searches each, at 1.9% of the total each. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car hire companies, Green Motion appeared in one of the four answers and Thrifty in none.
Who do people search for more?
Green Motion and Thrifty are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Green Motion, mentioned in 1 of 4 answers, Thrifty in 0
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Top car hire companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Green Motion was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Thrifty did not appear in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Arnold Clark1st
Enterprise Rent-A-Car2nd
Zest Car Rental3rd
Drivalia4th- Green Motion5th
Hertz6th
Avis7th
Sixt8th
Europcar9th- +1 more
Thrifty–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Arnold Clark4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Enterprise Rent-A-Car3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Zest Car Rental3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Europcar2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Sixt2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Avis2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Hertz2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Drivalia1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Green Motion1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Thrifty0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about car hire companies
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best car hire company in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which car hire company should I use at a UK airport?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Who has the cheapest car hire in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car hire”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Green Motion or Thrifty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Green Motion and Thrifty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 car hire companies we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Green Motion, Thrifty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Enterprise Rent-A-Car | Europcar | Sixt | Avis | Hertz | Zest Car Rental | Drivalia | Green Motion | Thrifty | Arnold Clark | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 39% | 20.7% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.66% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.6% | 18.5% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 41.9% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 9.9% | 3.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.88% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.6% | 18.9% | 15.4% | 12.6% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.92% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.4% | 20.7% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 4.8% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.82% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.1% | 17.6% | 14.4% | 17.6% | 5% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 0.86% |
| Apr 2026 | 32.8% | 19.7% | 16.1% | 13.2% | 5.3% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 0.63% |
| May 2026 | 32.8% | 21.9% | 14.8% | 12.1% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.72% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.7% | 21.2% | 17.4% | 11.7% | 5.6% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.69% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.5% | 20% | 16.5% | 11% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.66% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.9% | 19.7% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 6% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.64% |
| Sep 2026 | 38.2% | 17.2% | 14% | 11.5% | 6.5% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.84% |
How has branded search for Green Motion and Thrifty changed in the United Kingdom over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Green Motion was ahead of Thrifty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Green Motion’s share of searches among car hire companies in the United Kingdom held steady at 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 8.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Thrifty’s share of searches among car hire companies in the United Kingdom moved from 2.3% to 1.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 8.1K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom car hire companies in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Thrifty in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 8.1K in September 2026.
How are Green Motion’s and Thrifty’s branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Green Motion’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.
Green Motion
1 branded search term
- green motion
Thrifty
1 branded search term
- thrifty car hire
Other head-to-heads among car hire companies
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