Air conditioning increases LCV values, says BCA

Air conditioning has ensured LCV values continue to soar, increasing by up to 40%, according to BCA. 

UK temperatures reached record highs during the summer and BCA’s analysis suggests the increasing value and temperature has gone hand-in-hand.

BCA has used a sample of its sold data to show that the LCVs fitted with air-con outperform those without this option, increasing the value by a "significant amount".

Air-con is not fitted in many of the vans across many of the UK’s parc. This has led to these vehicles being sold for over £1,000 more, it said.

Jon Gilbert (pictured), BCA’s business development director, explained: “While it is to be expected that air conditioning will add value in the used LCV market, the real uplift in value now appears to compare very favourably with the front-end costs of specifying this option.

“LCVs with air-conditioning are highly valued by professional buyers at BCA, because these are the vehicles their retail customers want to buy. 

“For vans that are doing longer distance delivery work, or in a tradesman’s vehicle that doubles as the family transport at the weekend, air-con is exceptionally appealing.

“This is particularly apparent in the CDV sector where values increased by over 40% and in 4x4 Doublecab Pick Ups, which saw the largest increase in value.”

BCA data shows that across all large panel vans it sold in 2019, vehicles sold with air-con averaged £6,440, while those without averaged £5,374.

The sales conversion for large panel vans with air-con was a substantial 15.5%.

However, small panel vans, vehicles with air-con averaged £7,975 compared to £6,319, a £1,656 increase in value (over 26%). 

Car-derived vans averaged £4,912 at BCA during 2019 if fitted with air-con, and £3,499 without air-con, a substantial 40.3% increase in value. 

Car-derived vans with air-con also saw a large increase of 11.5% in conversion rates.

The biggest value differential in favour of vehicles fitted with air-con was seen in the 4x4 Doublecab Pick Up sector. 

Values increased from £8,783 without this option, to £10,514 with air-con, generating a £1,731 uplift in value and a 3.8% improvement in conversion rates.

The UK's summer heatwave has ensured that BCA figures have increased on those in 2018.