11:28 am, July 22, 2025
Almost seven in 10 (68 per cent of) dealers view plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) as ‘stepping stones’ towards full electric vehicle adoption, according to a survey carried out by Startline Motor Finance.
The survey also showed a clear divide in opinion on the future of PHEVs, with 37 per cent of dealers expecting them to have a long-term market presence, and an equal amount believing that buyers will soon favour EVs instead.
In the short term, 60 per cent of dealers surveyed said they thought values of PHEVs would increase and 48 per cent expected an increased demand from buyers.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: ‘While there are strong indications that the market for used EVs is improving quite rapidly, there remains a sizeable cohort of car buyers who are concerned about factors such as accessing charging.
‘For them, PHEVs are emerging as a halfway house to electrification, providing some electric range but also the reassurance of a combustion engine.
‘It makes sense that they are becoming more popular.
‘It’s interesting though, that more than a third of dealers believe their current rise will pass as more drivers opt for a full EV.
‘They think that while PHEVs are very much on an upwards trajectory right now, their drivers will move onto fully electric cars in time.’
60 dealers were surveyed by APD Global Research for the July edition of the Startline Used Car Tracker.
