Business · Companies · 1 day ago
Car renting grows in Spain as the cost of owning a car rises
More drivers and businesses in Spain are choosing car renting instead of buying a vehicle outright.
Renting now accounts for one in four vehicle registrations in the country.
The Spanish Vehicle Renting Association says more than 1.2 million vehicles were registered under this model so far this year, up 6.1% from the same period a year earlier.
Renting contracts typically bundle costs into a monthly payment and can reduce upfront spending and unexpected bills.
Meanwhile, the cost of owning a car has risen 32% since January 2020, and Spain had Europe’s steepest rise in total ownership costs in the second quarter, at 7%.
Fuel, maintenance, insurance and tyres have all become more expensive in recent years.
Renting companies are expanding as more customers seek flexible mobility, and Revel says it plans to triple its fleet over the next 12 months.
Car renting accounts for one in four vehicle registrations in Spain as the cost of owning a car rises.
More than 1.2 million vehicles were registered through renting so far this year, up 6.1% from the same period last year.
The cost of buying a vehicle has risen 32% since January 2020, according to an Arval Mobility Observatory study.
Spain recorded a 7% rise in total cost of ownership in the second quarter, the largest increase among the European countries compared in the study.
Renting offers drivers a monthly payment that can include costs and services, and avoids some unexpected expenses and upfront payments.
- Who
- Drivers, private customers and companies in Spain are increasingly choosing car renting.
- What
- Renting accounts for one in four vehicle registrations, while more than 1.2 million vehicles have been registered through the model so far this year.
- When
- The article was published on 9 November 2026; it reports figures for this year and the second quarter.
- Where
- Spain.
- Why
- Rising ownership costs, including fuel, maintenance, insurance and tyres, are encouraging customers to choose renting, which can offer a combined monthly payment and flexibility.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The cost of acquiring a vehicle began a rise that reached 32%, according to the Arval Mobility Observatory study.
Spain's total cost of ownership rose 7%, the largest increase among the European countries compared in the study.
More than 1.2 million vehicles were registered through renting, 6.1% more than in the same period last year.
Renting company Revel closed a €120 million financing deal and said it planned to triple its fleet in the next 12 months.
- Share of registrations
- One in four vehicle registrations in Spain are through renting.
- Renting registrations
- More than 1.2 million so far this year, up 6.1% year on year.
- Vehicle purchase cost
- Up 32% since January 2020.
- Spain's second-quarter TCO rise
- 7%, the largest among the European countries compared.
- Fuel costs
- Up 42% over the past six years.
- Revel financing
- €120 million.
What people are saying
El vehículo ha dejado de verse como una compra para ser, cada vez más, un servicio global de movilidad, con todo incluido.