11:01 am, July 9, 2026
The used car market overcame a number of external headwinds to record steady price growth in June.
That is according to Autotrader, which has pointed to the summer heatwave and World Cup fever as factors which could have potentially slowed things down.
The listings giant has today (Jul) published its latest AI-powered Retail Price Index, which show that the used market rounded off the first half of the year with resilient pricing, steady transactions and fast stock turn.
The data shows that the average price of a used car stood at £17,194 in June, representing a 0.8% year-on-year rise and the strongest rate of price growth since August 2023.
Prices were helped by continued demand, with ‘high-intent buyers’ remaining active in June, despite the potential distractions for their time and money.
Used car transactions rose around 1% year-on-year, while year-to-date volumes remained broadly level, and the average used car took 30 days to sell — the same level as both June 2025 and May 2026.
Used EV prices finally climb
One of the biggest headaches of recent times for used dealers has been the consistently plumeting value of second-hand EVs.
The issue has been enough to turn some retailers off electric cars altogether, but things finally now appear to be turning.
In June, used Ev prices rose 1.6% to £24,662 — the first positive annual growth since December 2022.
The result builds on May’s data, which saw used EVs remain at the same level year-on-year, ending 40 months of annual decline.
On a month-on-month basis, second-hand electric car prices rose 1.4%, even as the wider used car market softened 0.4% in line with seasonal trends.
Autotrader says that the turnaround is being supported by sustained buyer appetite and tightening supply. Used EVs sold in an average of 25 days in June — five days faster than the overall market and a full week quicker than the 32 days recorded in June 2025.
Experts also found that momentum is particularly concentrated in the 3–5-year-old EV cohort, where prices rose a whopping 8.9% YoY to £19,295, with stock leaving forecourts in just 21 days.
Sky-high margin in older stock
Beyond electric vehicles, Autotrader says that older stock remains a key margin opportunity for retailers, with constrained supply and sustained affordability pressures continuing to support price growth across older age cohorts.
Cars aged 10–15 years were the standout segment, with average prices rising 7.8% compared to the same time last year and 0.1% compared to May to £7,238.
Cars aged over 15 years also recorded strong annual growth, rising 5.1% year-on-year to £5,210, while 5–10-year-old cars rose 1.6% to £14,314.
Commenting on the data, Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: ‘June’s data points to a used car market that remains highly resilient, with serious buyers continuing to transact despite the summer heatwave and World Cup fever competing for attention.
‘For retailers, that commitment is supporting stable transactions, resilient pricing and a consistent speed of sale.
‘The standout story this month, though, is clearly electric. After a prolonged period of price adjustment, used EVs have moved from stabilisation into genuine growth.
‘For retailers, the opportunity isn’t just about having EV stock available, but having the right EV stock, priced accurately and marketed with confidence.
‘More broadly, this is exactly the kind of market where pricing discipline matters. With demand, supply and values moving differently across segments, the best outcomes will come from pricing that reflects live retail market conditions, rather than simply working up from cost.’
