7:05 am, August 19, 2026
EV adoption may be picking up at an impressive rate but a number of misconceptions remain when it comes to how to sell used electric cars.
That is the verdict of industry experts who say retailers need to understand the technology in order to meet the needs of EV buyers.
They also say it is important for dealers to treat EVs differently to traditional stock, if they are to make money from electric car sales.
One man who knows a thing or two about selling second-hand EVs is Drive Green founder, Richard Norris.
The Somerset-based business was named our EV Dealer of the Year at both the 2024 and 2025 Used Car Awards and Norris believes that some dealers currently think that strong demand automatically makes EVs easy and profitable to sell.
‘There is the feeling from many dealers that they can just jump in and start selling EVs profitably and successfully as they are so popular at the moment,’ he told Car Dealer.
‘In fact, dealers need a longer-term strategy built around doing a good job of selling EVs.
‘It is indeed true that demand for EVs is very strong at the moment, and the right cars do indeed sell very quickly.
‘However this is only part of the picture, as selling EVs profitably is the goal, and currently that is hard to do as trade prices are so strong putting margins under great pressure.’
Knowledge is key
Norris is not the only expert who believes dealers need to change their approach when it comes to selling used EVs.
Estelle Miller, co-founder of EV Experts, says a lack of knowledge around electric cars remains one of the biggest barriers for both dealers and consumers.
The Surrey-based EV Experts is another previous winner of our EV Dealer of the Year award and Miller believes that retailers need to build their own expertise in order to guide customers through the transition to eco-friendly motoring.
Among the biggest misconceptions she sees is a belief that EVs ‘do not offer significant savings for motorists’, particularly for those who are able to charge at home.
She told Car Dealer: ‘Firstly I would say that the average driver in the UK who could charge at home does not realise the kind of fuel and maintenance savings that can be enjoyed when switching to an EV.
‘On average, if charging at home, fuelling an electric car costs a tenth of the cost to fuel a petrol or diesel car. That’s a massive saving on monthly fuel costs at a time when household budgets are under pressure.
‘They are also cheaper to service and maintain.’
Miller also believes dealers need to challenge the idea that electric cars do not need servicing – something that has put some retailers off electric cars due to fears about falling aftersales revenue.
‘I guess the other misconception that is frustrating and I see it from consumers as well as traders is that an electric car doesn’t need servicing,’ she said.
‘They really do need servicing in line with manufacturer’s guidelines to make sure that the longer HV battery warranty will be honoured.
‘We are seeing a lot of EVs in the marketplace that have missed services and this will cause future owners problems if they need to claim on their HV battery.’
Norris agrees that it is important for dealers to familiarise themselves with EV technology, which he says will help dealers generate more profit in the long-term.
He told Car Dealer: ‘The better you become at selling EVs, the quicker you will be able to make selling EVs consistently profitable, by being able to charge more of a premium due to the standard of your service to potential EV consumers.
‘This means not judging success and whether to continue to stock EVs based on short term results, and investing a staff training, as well as being able to provide customers what they need in order to make the transition easy for them, giving them confidence in their purchase.’
Battery falsehoods remain
According to Miller, another area where dealer education is needed is the issue of battery health.
The 55-year-old said a number of retailers still believe that cars’ high-voltage battery cannot be tested.
‘A misconception from traders would be that the HV battery can’t be tested,’ she said.
‘It really can – you have to sign up to a service that can do the testing and there is a cost associated with that and so I guess HV battery testing starts to make sense only when you have more EVs on the forecourt to test.’
She says battery testing can give both dealers and customers greater confidence when buying and selling used electric cars.
‘It does help with confidence – both in knowing you are not selling a car with a defective HV battery and for consumers in making the leap to new technology,’ she added.
Miller also warns dealers not to overlook battery maintenance, particularly the cooling systems.
‘There is also a risk of harm to the HV battery if the cooling systems have not been properly maintained – they are coolant based and so need replacing or topping up periodically.’
‘People don’t like the unknown’
While many dealers do want to start selling more EVs, there remains a ‘certain percentage’ of dealers who don’t want change.
That is according to R Symonds Ltd boss Richard Symonds, who has encouraged dealers to try and own EVs in order to familiarise themselves with the technology.
He told Car Dealer: ‘Many people don’t like the unknown. They don’t want to change. That’s a certain percentage of the demographic.
‘Many people are now changing to owning or selling EVs simply because they’ve been around for a while, more people realise how good they are, more dealers should realise how much more reliable they are, and of course demand is high especially recently because fuel prices are so high.
‘10,000 miles costs me about £150 in charging. That’s the same as one tank of fuel in a big car. My Tesla model 3 is 4.5 years old and has 250,000 miles on the clock and never gone wrong! We’ve only replaced rubber bits – tyres, wipers and bushes.
‘They’re just better, for most owners and certainly for dealers and over the years people have been waking up to that.
‘The thing most dealers lack is knowledge. Best way to get around that is to own and learn. For those people who don’t want to change, that’s fine. Stick to combustion.’