Used EV values are expected to continue outperforming the wider second-hand market for the rest of August, before this advantage reduces over the coming months.
That’s according to Solera Cap HPI, which said that EVs had seen a marked improvement in their performance compared with earlier this year, supported by strong demand and growing interest from independent dealers.
The automotive data company said that average used EV values declined by 0.2% month-on-month in July, making EVs the second strongest-performing fuel type after hybrids, which were up by 0.3%, and 0.6% better than the rest of the market.
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The company linked increased interest from independent dealers in used EVs to improving margins, helped by higher fuel prices.
Retail days in stock for EVs is also said to compare favourably with other fuel types, although performance varies significantly by age, with younger used EVs particularly affected by new car offers.
Solera Cap HPI said it expected EVs’ performance versus the rest of the market to be similar in August to what it was in July, but that this advantage would then narrow in subsequent months.
Dylan Setterfield, head of forecast strategy at Solera Cap HPI, said: “We’re expecting electric vehicles to continue to perform better than the overall average in the short term, but that favourability is likely to reduce over each of the next three months.”
Increased volumes to put pressure on used car market
Solera Cap HPI has forecast an overall used car value decline for August of 1.0%, which would be slightly ahead of the typical seasonal average of a 1.1% decline, although weaker than the 0.5% decline recorded in August 2025.
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It said the market was expected to soften from September, with increased used vehicle volumes putting further pressure on values during the final quarter pf 2026.
Solera Cap HPI said it expected movements to become slightly worse than normal seasonality as volumes rose, with that weaker performance against seasonal norms gradually increasing through 2027, before flattening out in early 2028.