Used light commercial vehicle prices strengthened again in September, with BCA reporting a 5.5% monthly increase in average values as buyer demand improved across a broad range of stock.
The auction and remarketing business said its average LCV value rose by £462 to £8,820 during the month. That was its highest monthly figure since March 2024 and represented a year-on-year increase of £360, or 4.3%.
The September rise followed another strong month in August. Across the two months, average values increased by £886, equivalent to 11.2%, according to BCA’s valuation figures. The company said buyer numbers reached their highest level since March and that demand was not confined to a narrow selection of vehicles.
BCA also recorded stronger performance against guide price expectations. The average sale result reached 104.5% of guide price, an improvement of 1.1 percentage points and the third consecutive monthly increase. It was the highest reading on this measure since February.
The improvement came despite an increase in the number of vehicles entering sales and the volume sold. In other words, BCA says stronger supply did not prevent competition for stock from lifting the prices achieved.
For the first nine months of 2026, BCA reported sales of nearly 83,000 light commercial vehicles to 8,175 different buyers. Their average value over that period was £8,355, with sales achieving the equivalent of 103.5% of guide price expectations.
Stuart Pearson, BCA’s UK chief operating officer, said: “Following on from an unseasonably strong performance in August at BCA, LCV values kicked on again in September to record the highest average value in 30 months.”
He said increased buyer numbers had supported competition for vehicles, allowing sold volumes to rise without weakening price performance.
BCA also pointed to improving interest in battery-electric light commercial vehicles. Pearson said more models entering the wider market and growing buyer confidence were helping electric vans gain traction in the used sector.
Pearson added that competition remained strongest for well-presented vehicles, although buyers were increasingly prepared to consider stock requiring refurbishment when the asking price reflected its condition. That is a useful distinction for sellers: the headline rise in average values does not mean every van is achieving the same premium.
BCA attributed some of the improvement to adjustments in pricing guides to better reflect market expectations. Its buyers also reported steady retail demand for used vans, while the September new-registration period provided another source of activity in the wider market.
The segment is expected to remain active as more stock becomes available ahead of the pre-Christmas parcel delivery period.
