10:28 am, April 21, 2026
With high fuel prices showing no signs of abating any time soon, buyers are increasingly searching for used electric cars.
The used car advertising platforms have all reported rising interest in EVs with searches up and speed of sale decreasing, but where should you put your money?
Well, at the Clever Car Collection we’ve diversified our range in the current fuel crisis to incorporate more electric cars – and they’re selling fast. In fact, we could have sold one Seat Mii electric this week 10 times over.
Prices have dropped so substantially over the past few years that a used EV now looks very good value and, when you add in cheap home charging rates, it’s little wonder that more buyers are searching for them.
The one EV that has turned my head the most, though, is this Tesla Model 3. So much so I haven’t got out of it ever since it arrived.
I bought this 21-plate long range model on a bit of a whim. It looked good value on Carwow’s auction platform and I thought it was about time we tried one again.
The last Model 3 I had in stock was a Performance and it hung around like a bad smell. Priced at around £20,000 we had no sniffs and, in the end, our friends at the EV Experts took it on for us and sold it for what we paid.
But that was a year or so ago. Now, prices have fallen even further and this Model 3 is retailing for around £14k.
I’ve been so impressed by the technology and the range it offers, I’ve even created a video all about why I think it’s the best electric car to buy. You can watch that above.
Model 3s are available for well under £10k these days, and long range examples like this one can be had for around £11k.
A full charge of this Tesla gives me a near-300 mile range which is, quite frankly, staggering for the money. What’s more, even on a relatively expensive home charging rate it still costs just £15 to ‘fill it up’.
That works out at around 5p per mile. Compare that to diesel at 1.95p per litre and, let’s say 60mpg if you’re lucky, you’ll end up paying 14.8p per mile.
Fill up with petrol at 165p per litre and a car that will do 40mpg – a bit like the Volvo XC90 long termer I drive usually – and you’ll be paying 18.7p per mile.
That’s a stark difference isn’t it? And if your mpg figures are worse than those I’ve quoted your cost to fuel per mile will be even more. You can see why consumers are turning to them in their droves.
And if you’re worried these Teslas go wrong – don’t be. Most listings state ‘no service history’, but I am assured that’s nothing to worry about. Teslas don’t really need anything more than tyres, brakes and an occasional check up.
The manufacturer doesn’t pass on servicing history either, so you’ll never know if a car has been professionally checked over and most buyers don’t care either.
What do dealers think of Teslas?
David Gott, a Tesla fan at The Lovely Car Company, told me he loved selling them.
He said: ‘They have very low running costs – just tyres to change, really. People think they are expensive for premium tyres but you can get budget ones for £50 a tyre.
‘Suspension arms do wear out – but they’re not expensive to fix at around £120 pair and an hour’s labour.
‘The warranty is impressive too for both the car and the battery. And you can’t argue with the technology. We love them and sell loads.’
But Estelle Miller, at EV Experts, won’t touch them any more. She told me she’s had too many bad experiences with them and has struggled to get them fixed.
‘The problem is they’re a bit like white goods – there are loads of them out there and so much choice that people just go for the cheapest,’ she said.
‘We have also had problems getting them fixed. Prangs are hard to sort, which is why the insurance is so expensive (they’re Group 50), and there’s a long lead time for parts.
‘You also can’t get past the Elon Musk problem. He has put a lot of people off, ourselves included, and especially here in Guildford he is not liked.’
But if you can ignore the Musk problem, Teslas still offer great value for money in the used market and are in demand. Our Model 3 has a 97 Autotrader Retail Rating and is expected to sell in under 28 days.
I’ve been impressed by the technology. Yes, it might all be based on one screen and inside that means there are very few buttons, but I have got used to it very quickly.
The stereo is superb, the fact it has built in internet connectivity for Spotify and, when parked, YouTube and Netflix, is smart and while it’s not the most dynamic car to drive it’s perfectly enjoyable.
I do have some complaints. I find the seats very uncomfortable and the build quality is not the best. The paint is a bit orange peely in places, the panel gaps a bit inconsistent and parts of it feel a bit flimsy.
But that being said, this is a 93k mile car and has worn those miles incredibly well. The interior has held up far better than some German cars I’ve sold with similar mileages and after a clean it honestly came up like new.
The battery also has 91% health left in it, according to the onboard computer, but I take that with a pinch of salt.
Miller told me these can be overly ambitious and the battery does seem to have some ‘leakage’ overnight. I’ll get in the car and it will have lost 10 miles or so sat on my drive. That could be something to do with the Sentry mode camera that’s always on and monitoring things, but still feels a bit excessive.
Overall, though, I’ve been very impressed with the Model 3. I wouldn’t buy one new, but in the used market at this sort of price they make a lot of sense. I can certainly see now what all the fuss is about.
The most annoying thing, though, is the fact that every Tesla driver turns into an absolute Tesla bore once they get one. The problem is, I’m rapidly becoming one of them…
