10:39 am, October 9, 2026
Demand for used electric cars has rocketed by 40% in the space of a year, with EVs now outperforming petrol and diesel models when it comes to price growth.
New figures from Autotrader show that interest in second-hand electric vehicles surged in September, comfortably outstripping the 26% increase in supply.
The growing appetite for EVs has helped push prices upwards, with average values climbing 2.8% year-on-year to £25,091.
That made electric cars the only fuel type to record annual price growth last month, according to the online marketplace’s latest Retail Price Index.
It was a very different story for diesel, however, with demand plunging by 19.2% against a backdrop of rising fuel costs.
Supply of used diesels also fell, but by a much smaller 6.8%, while average prices slipped 0.8% to £13,924.
Petrol cars also suffered a downturn, with values falling 1% to £14,625, bringing an end to 17 consecutive months of annual price growth.
Demand for petrol models dropped 5.8%, almost exactly in line with the 5.7% reduction in supply.
Despite the contrasting fortunes of different fuel types, the overall used car market remains relatively stable.
Top 10 used cars for price growth
September 2026 vs September 2025
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Porsche Boxster – £22,063 (+21.6%)
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Renault Zoe – £9,225 (+15.2%)
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Mercedes-Benz SL – £30,647 (+12.0%)
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Mazda MX-5 – £12,821 (+11.0%)
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Toyota Land Cruiser – £46,035 (+11.0%)
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MG MG5 – £11,494 (+10.9%)
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Skoda Enyaq – £25,884 (+10.5%)
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Kia Soul – £7,709 (+10.2%)
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Honda Jazz – £12,061 (+10.0%)
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Alfa Romeo Giulia – £25,000 (+9.9%)
The average asking price of a used car stood at £17,299 in September, with like-for-like values down 1% year-on-year and 0.8% compared with August.
Cars also continued to sell quickly, taking an average of 29 days to leave forecourts – unchanged from September 2025 and one day faster than the previous month.
Both petrol and electric cars took an average of 28 days to sell.
Marc Palmer, Autotrader’s head of strategy and insights, said: ‘September highlights just how important it is to look beneath the market averages.
‘Overall prices have softened, but different cars are experiencing very different dynamics.
‘Demand for electric cars is comfortably outpacing supply, supporting continued price growth, while record fuel costs are adding pressure to traditionally fuelled cars, particularly diesel.’
Older used cars continue to defy price falls
The figures also revealed a growing divide between newer and older used cars, with nearly new stock suffering the biggest price reductions.
Vehicles aged under a year saw average like-for-like values fall 2.7%, while those aged between one and three years dropped 2.4%.
Cars aged between three and five years also slipped 1%, with increased competition and attractive deals in the new car market putting pressure on prices.
However, older vehicles continued to perform strongly.
Cars aged between 10 and 15 years recorded annual price growth of 5.6%, taking average asking prices to £7,144.
There were also some striking differences between individual models.
The Porsche Boxster topped Autotrader’s list of biggest price risers, with values climbing 21.6% year-on-year to £22,063.
It was followed by the electric Renault Zoe, up 15.2% to £9,225, and the Mercedes-Benz SL, which rose 12% to £30,647.
Top 10 used cars for price drops
September 2026 vs September 2025
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Nissan Ariya – £23,146 (-17.9%)
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BMW i5 – £44,037 (-15.6%)
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Jaguar E-Pace – £14,747 (-15.4%)
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Peugeot 408 – £17,963 (-15.0%)
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Vauxhall Grandland – £16,934 (-14.9%)
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Mazda MX-30 – £12,409 (-14.1%)
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Vauxhall Mokka X – £7,430 (-13.7%)
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Ford Edge – £12,396 (-13.1%)
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Vauxhall Crossland X – £7,451 (-12.0%)
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Volvo S90 – £14,884 (-11.5%)
Other EVs enjoying strong price growth included the MG5, up 10.9%, and the Skoda Enyaq, up 10.5%.
However, not every electric model enjoyed the same success.
The Nissan Ariya recorded the largest annual price decline of any model in the index, falling 17.9% to an average £23,146.
The BMW i5 also suffered a steep drop, with values down 15.6% to £44,037, while the Mazda MX-30 fell 14.1% to £12,409.
Palmer added: ‘That variation also underlines why retailers should look at what’s happening in the live retail market rather than being guided by movements in trade values alone.
‘Cars are still selling quickly and there are clear pockets of pricing strength, so for retailers sourcing well in a softer wholesale market, there remain opportunities to protect margin by pricing individual vehicles to real-time retail demand.’