8:16 am, May 12, 2026
The UK’s used car market stalled in the first quarter but demand for second-hand electric vehicles continued to surge, latest data shows.
New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show used car transactions dipped 0.2% year on year, with 2,016,232 used cars changed hands between January and March.
It brought to an end 12 consecutive quarters of growth, with the SMMT blaming a subdued March after an exceptionally strong same month in 2025, when transactions topped 700,000 units for the first time since 2017.
Despite the overall slowdown, used electric cars enjoyed another bumper quarter.
Battery electric vehicle (BEV) transactions jumped by 32.0% to 86,943 units, meaning one in 23 used car buyers opted for a pure EV during the period – up from around one in 30 a year ago.
The data comes as Cazana revealed electric was the strongest fuel type in April’s used car market, with prices of used electric cars rising 1.1%. You can find out more about this by watching the video at the top of this story.
The SMMT said the increase was being driven by growing numbers of used EVs entering the market following heavy manufacturer investment in new electric models, alongside strong incentives and discounting in the new car sector.
Hybrid demand also continued to rise sharply, with HEV transactions climbing 27.6% to 128,039 units, giving hybrids a 6.4% market share.
However, plug-in hybrid sales fell by 8.9% to 20,021 units.
Combined, electrified vehicles accounted for 11.7% of all used car transactions during the first quarter.
Petrol cars remained the dominant fuel type despite a small 0.6% decline in sales to 1,147,969 units, while diesel transactions dropped by 6.7% to 629,987 units as fewer diesel models filtered into the used market.
Conventional petrol and diesel models still represented 88.2% of all used car transactions overall.
Superminis remained Britain’s most popular used car segment despite a 1.0% decline in sales, accounting for nearly a third of all transactions with 648,229 units changing hands.
The Ford Fiesta was, once again, the best-selling used car in the first quarter, with 76,745 transactions to its name. It was followed by the Vauxhall Corsa (62,201), Volkswagen Golf (56,236), Ford Focus (54,662) and the Nissan Qashqai (42,214).
Black was the most popular colour with 429,392 transactions, followed by grey (376,124) and white (331,409).
Cream recorded the strongest growth, up 11.7%, although volumes were small at 1,399 transactions, and pink recorded the steepest decline, down 17.8% to 1,214 units. Maroon was the least popular, with just 1,108 cars changing hands.
The SMMT also warned that the UK’s ageing vehicle parc remains a growing concern.
The average age of cars on UK roads has now reached a record 9.7 years, up from eight years in 2019.
At the same time, the trade body downgraded its expectations for EV uptake in the new car market this year, cutting its forecast for BEV market share from 28.5% to 26.8% after a weaker-than-expected first quarter.
The SMMT said the revision ‘reinforces the need for a rapid review of the UK’s EV transition to align policy with market realities’.
Commenting on the figures, SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said the record demand for used EVs may still grown further due to high fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East, but to maintain momentum ‘every fiscal and policy lever must be pulled to ensure a healthy new car market that delivers zero emission vehicles that can in future flow through to the used market’.
Autotrader’s Ian Plummer said the market remains very competitive and supply-constrained, but presents dealers with a ‘clear opportunity to focus on high‑demand segments, particularly electric and older stock, where strong consumer interest is translating into faster sales and margin potential’.
