11:12 am, January 27, 2026
Three quarters of used car dealers believe more government support is needed to boost demand for second-hand EVs.
That is according to a new survey by Startline Motor Finance, which found that 74% of retailers want to see more assistance for the used electric market.
The firm’s Used Car Tracker for January also found that 70% of dealers believe more support is still needed for new EV sales, despite the introduction of the Electric Car Grant last year.
Startline took the views of 60 used car dealers for the data, as well as 303 consumers, all of whom were asked for their thoughts on the ZEV mandate.
Over half of the dealers asked (57%) said that they expected the current targets to be met, although 44% believe the government will soon be forced to revise their targets.
A further 20% said that targets for the rest of the decade are unrealistic, ahead of the ban on new petrol and diesel sales from 2030.
In response to the findings, Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said that it was likely that 2025 ZEV Mandate car target are likely to have been missed by a handful of percentage points.
He said: ‘Against that backdrop, it’s perhaps a little surprising that so many dealers are feeling optimistic the 2026 target of 33% will be met.
‘However, other indicators in our research have shown an improvement in sentiment among retailers toward electric cars in recent months and this finding is probably a reflection of that trend.
‘Still, it’s clear the ZEV Mandate is an area where dealer opinion is very much divided, with 44% believing the targets are unattainable in their present form and will need to be revised and relaxed.
‘It’s notable that the government has already said it will bring forward its date to reexamine these from 2027 to this year.’
On the need for more state support for EV sales, Burgess added: ‘The high level of support for used car market intervention revealed here is notable.
‘There is an argument that the functioning of the used market is the weakest area of the whole electrification process at the moment.
‘Dealers often report that while electric cars generally sell quickly, low values are persisting and even potentially worsening.’
