CV Show 2026: Shaping the future of UK van fleets

The Commercial Vehicle Show has always been the place to go to kick tyres, compare payloads, and quietly judge whose stand has the best coffee. But for the 2026 show, the mood shifted. It has become less about what’s new this year and more about what’s going to keep businesses moving for the next decade.

Electrification, automation, new OEMs entering the UK, and a wave of fresh commercial platforms all point to one thing: the fleet world is changing fast, and leasing is increasingly the safest way to stay ahead of it.

That’s why this year’s standout vehicles weren’t necessarily the biggest or the boldest. They were the ones that said something meaningful about where the UK LCV market is heading.

And right at the front of that conversation was a brand many UK fleets will be hearing about for the first time.

Foton: the new global player with serious intent

If the CV Show had a theme, it was “future-proofing”, and nothing embodied that more than Foton’s arrival on UK soil. Backed by IM Group, the same distributor that successfully established Subaru and Isuzu in the UK, Foton’s entry signals a new era of global competition in the commercial vehicle space.

The brand’s presence at the show wasn’t about one headline model but about demonstrating scale, capability, and long-term commitment. Its model range is certainly impressive, encompassing everything from vans and pickups to buses and HGVs.

For UK businesses, the arrival of a new OEM with a broad commercial portfolio, strong manufacturing capacity, and an established UK distribution partner with proven experience is exactly the kind of disruptor that can reshape leasing decisions over the next few years.

Foton’s pitch is simple, delivering robust engineering, competitive pricing, and a product roadmap that leans heavily into electrification. For SMEs and corporate fleets looking to diversify suppliers, this is a name worth watching, and a reminder that the LCV market is becoming more global, more competitive, and more future-focused than ever.

Isuzu: diesel or electric, the pickup choice is now yours

Isuzu used the CV Show to make a point: the transition to electric doesn’t have to be a cliff-edge moment. Instead, it can be a choice, and a practical one at that.

On one side of the display stand sat the D-Max EV, the UK’s first fully electric pickup capable of carrying more than a tonne and towing up to 3.5 tonnes. On the other side, the updated D-Max 2.2 diesel served as a reminder that internal combustion still has a role to play.

For businesses that need genuine working-vehicle capability without tailpipe emissions, this is a landmark moment. The electric D-Max isn’t a lifestyle truck with a plug, it’s a proper commercial tool designed for utilities, construction, agriculture, and any other business you could think of that needs to haul equipment without burning diesel.

Lining up beside the new electric model and boasting improved efficiency and the same rugged dependability that has made the D-Max a favourite among rural fleets, the updated 2.2 diesel variant offers a familiar and proven option for businesses not yet ready to electrify heavy-duty operations.

Together, the two models highlight Isuzu’s pragmatic approach that many businesses will appreciate. It isn’t forcing you down either path but instead is offering the flexibility to electrify where it makes sense and stick with diesel where it doesn’t. We have great leasing offers on the Isuzu D-Max pickup, whether you want diesel or electric.

BYD Dolphin Cargo: the compact EV van built for urban fleets

If the previous two manufacturers represent the heavy-duty end of the market, BYD’s Dolphin Cargo most definitely sits at the opposite end of the spectrum.

This is a brand-new compact, efficient, city-friendly EV van designed for last-mile deliveries and urban service fleets. Based on the popular Dolphin hatchback, the Cargo version has been re-engineered with a flat load floor, an internal bulkhead, and more than 1,000 litres of usable space.

Its WLTP figures are equally impressive for a van of this size, offering up to 347 miles in city driving and around 265 miles combined. For businesses operating in clean-air zones or running multi-drop routes, that’s a compelling range-to-size ratio.

BYD’s growing UK presence also gives the Dolphin Cargo credibility. The brand has already made waves in the passenger-car EV market, and its move into commercial vehicles feels like a natural next step.

If your business is looking to cut running costs, reduce BiK exposure on car-derived vans, or electrify urban operations, the BYD Dolphin Cargo is one of the most interesting new options of 2026.

Delivan: the future-tech wildcard with big ambitions

If Foton represents the commercial vehicles of tomorrow, the new Delivan demonstrates where we could be next week….metaphorically speaking, of course.

Chery’s new commercial-vehicle sub-brand made its global debut at the CV Show, and it arrived with the kind of confidence usually reserved for long-established OEMs. The stand featured everything from full-size vans to micro-cargo concepts and even early-stage autonomous delivery platforms.

It was less a product launch and more a statement of intent: Delivan wants to be a major player in the next generation of commercial mobility. For UK fleets, the immediate takeaway is that Delivan is coming, and it’s bringing a broad, modular, tech-heavy product strategy with it.

Whether it’s the right fit today is almost beside the point. What matters is that the brand is positioning itself at the intersection of electrification, automation, and smart-fleet integration. It’s the perfect reminder that the LCV market is evolving faster than ever.

CV Show demonstrates a market in transition

It’s clear that the 2026 CV Show wasn’t just a showcase of new vans. It was a snapshot of a market in transition.

New OEMs are entering the UK, established brands are offering both diesel and electric options, and emerging players are pushing the boundaries of what commercial vehicles can be.

For businesses, the future is coming quickly, and the safest way to navigate it is through flexible, predictable leasing. Whether you’re electrifying, sticking with diesel for now, or planning for autonomous delivery pods in the next decade, the leasing options have never been as diverse and exciting as they are today.