The franchised sector has been exposed to the reality of used BEVs for some time but the message is simple for Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insight at Autotrader: “Retailers can’t ignore electric if they want to carry on selling used vehicles.”
Whilst rising petrol prices have always been a stimulant for EV demand, interest on Autotrader’s platform skyrocketed with the bombing of Iran and corresponding upward fuel costs. In March 2026 BEV accounted for 20% of all leads in 0-5-year vehicles, up 6.5% YoY with the biggest growth in 3-5-year-old cars.
Currently, speed of sale remains largely in line with the market – BEVs sell in an average 28 days compared to similar petrol vehicles in an average 24 days. BEVs remain slightly below market with prices 5.8% down YoY compared to the market in general down 0.4% but prices are broadly flat especially in the 3-5-year cohort.
Palmer said: “Prices offer brilliant value for the buyer. Certain prices are not that much different to petrol.”
The current challenge is supply particularly in the 3-6 year age range as part of the ongoing effects of the pandemic. Palmer recommends stocking a mix of brands and fuel types.
At 44% compared to 64% for petrol, retention by brand for BEVs needs some work. Whilst 80% of franchised retailers sell EVs, in 2025, Palmer points out that one in five independents now sell used BEVs.
He said: “Independents, especially the larger outlets, have made a strategic decision to get into EVs and the franchised network is losing the battle for supply. Franchised retailers sold that EV new, so they need to make sure they bring those vehicles back to sell used.”
With no government incentives, the used EV market ‘is taking care of itself’ but Palmer urges caution in the 0-3 age group where some pricing pressure exists 0-12-month-old EVs particularly affected by incentives on new. Speed of sale for younger models are a much slower average 32 days.
“Retailers need to be more forensic as prices are higher and units are slower to shift,” he said.
However, with no supply-demand imbalance, if retailers match the right vehicles to their local market, they could clock up some wins but, Palmer warned, ‘retailers must do their homework’.
In an analysis of vehicles Autorola sold to online wholesale buyers in Q1 2026, used petrol and electric vehicles reached price parity for the first time with just an average £241 price difference between the two, the lowest so far. It corresponded with an increase in bids for used EVs on its online MarketPlace portal with sales nearly doubling in a three-month period.
Digital car management services for drivers Regit has also seen conversations around EVs and hybrids up by over 50% since February as pump prices increased.
CEO and founder Chris Green said: “Those spikes are real, but they sit on top of a longer-term trend where interest is building, just not converting at the same pace.”
However, practical barriers remain: “Our data shows around 46% of drivers are open to an EV, but far fewer are ready to commit today, and that gap comes down to practicality and cost.”
Sourcing and managing used EVs
Sourcing and managing used EVs
The tried and tested rules still apply, according to Palmer: “It has to be the right car for your forecourt.”
Retailers need to utilise tools like Autotrader’s Market Insights to assess demand and the retail price of a vehicle, expected days to sell and projected value across the next 60 days.
Sentiments echoed by Jon Taylor, national client strategy manager at Indicata UK (Autorola’s pricing data and insights arm): “Identify the fast turning stock through analysis of sold data in the market both regionally and nationally – Indicata enables you to do this – and that way you can be selective of which used EVs you know are in demand.”
However, volatile residual values still pose a risk: “EV RVs have moved more sharply than ICE due to rapid new car price changes, incentives, and shifting demand. Price dynamically, not statically. EV values move quickly, dealers who adjust pricing weekly based on market movement protect margin and speed up sales.”
Autofinity’s ViHUB provides a single portal for dealers to manage stock and retail applications in one place, CEO Andy Whitehair said: “EVs carry unique pricing pressures due to model updates and incentive changes and that requires identification of market shifts for repricing to avoid rapid depreciation. Dealers with their fingers on the market’s pulse and the ability to buy and sell accurately at a given moment as well as making continual price adjustments according to market demands will be the winners in the used EV retailing stakes.”
The wrong car can become hard work very quickly
For Graeme Potts, CEO, Eden Motor Group, used BEV car availability and increased consumer interest are occurring ‘more or less simultaneously’. However, a significant proportion will ‘self-eliminate’ when ‘effectively an essential requirement of home or office charging to operate a BEV more economically than an ICE car’ is realised. It makes sales team coaching and training, especially relationship building and qualification with customers, vital to educate buyers that in practice, the majority of journeys are highly likely to fall within the theoretical vehicle range.
Nathan Tomlinson, managing director at Devonshire Motors, sees gains in consumer confidence but ‘it is still more conditional than it is with petrol or diesel’ and ‘buyers still need plenty of reassurance before they commit’.
He added: “In used EVs especially, the wrong car can become hard work very quickly. If you buy well and price to the live retail market EVs turn very quickly, but the market is still maturing and it reacts very quickly to changes in supply, new car incentives, and new model activity in a way that ICE didn’t.”
Likewise, training and ‘honest conversations’ are imperative: “The retailers who do best in used, and new, EVs are the ones who reduce fear.”
Battery health
With battery health a determining factor of EV resale value, Autofinity is working with the sector to ensure additional information such as SoH (state of health) data uploads are incorporated into datasets. Although Tomlinson does not consider battery health certificates essential, battery health transparency is important, especially for older or higher-mileage EVs.
Similarly, Potts said: “In our experience, concern over battery life and efficiency erosion is not as significant as was originally thought. Recent empirical results, which are becoming widely known, are indicating that battery life and efficiency reduction is very modest both over time and mileage driven. Cost, range anxiety, and affordable charging access are considerably more significant concerns.”
Regit data, however, highlights a significant proportion of drivers who say they are concerned about battery condition and longevity.
Green said: “The biggest risk in the used EV market is around confidence, particularly battery health. If that concern isn’t addressed clearly, it becomes a blocker, so the dealers who can remove that uncertainty are the ones who will convert demand more consistently.”
Aftersales
Aftersales also has a role to play, according to Tomlinson: “Buyers need to know that if the car breaks down or is involved in an accident, there’s a clear and efficient path to diagnosis, repair, parts supply and even insurer recognition.”
Data from the leading aftermarket services comparison website BookMyGarage revealed EV bookings more than doubled in 2025 – up by 105%, a consistent trend over the past few years. As a proportion of total bookings on the platform, EV appointments accounted for 0.7% in 2023; in 2024 – 1.5%; and last year they made up 1.9%.
Chief marketing officer Jess Ruddick said: “The surge in numbers over the past three years reflects the rapidly growing market. Sales teams can be assured that there is both capacity and willingness in the aftersales market to meet ongoing servicing, MOT and repair needs.”