5:55 am, August 10, 2026
Used electric vehicle prices recorded their strongest annual growth on record in July, as Autotrader said the market has now moved decisively beyond the correction that followed soaring values during the pandemic.
The latest figures from the marketplace’s Retail Price Index show like-for-like used EV prices increased by 3.3% year-on-year in July, up from 1.6% in June and flat growth in May.
It marks the third consecutive month of annual price growth for the wider used car market too, with like-for-like values rising 0.8% year-on-year and the average asking price holding steady at £17,106.
The average asking price for a used EV climbed by £284 month-on-month to £24,946, with the strongest gains coming from three-to-five-year-old electric cars, where prices rose by 10.2% compared with a year earlier.
Autotrader said improving affordability, higher petrol prices and growing buyer confidence continued to drive demand for electric cars.
Demand for used EVs increased by 13.9% year-on-year in July, while supply also returned to growth, rising by 5.7% after contracting in June.
The combination meant electric cars continued to sell significantly faster than their petrol counterparts, taking an average of 25 days to leave forecourts compared with 30 days for petrol models.
Despite the strength in electric vehicles, the overall used car market softened slightly in July, with market health falling by 7% year-on-year as demand slipped by 6.5% while supply edged up by 0.6%.
Top 10 used car price rises
| Rank | Model | Average asking price | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alfa Romeo Giulia | £29,638 | +17.8% |
| 2 | Renault Zoe | £8,979 | +15.6% |
| 3 | Toyota Yaris | £8,492 | +15.0% |
| 4 | Mercedes-Benz C-Class | £21,959 | +14.6% |
| 5 | Porsche Boxster | £20,733 | +14.4% |
| 6 | Fiat Panda | £5,650 | +14.1% |
| 7 | Tesla Model X | £28,589 | +12.9% |
| 8 | Toyota Prius | £8,244 | +12.8% |
| 9 | BMW Z4 | £20,944 | +12.5% |
| 10 | Audi RS6 Avant | £64,347 | +12.4% |
Autotrader said older vehicles continued to outperform, with cars aged between 10 and 15 years posting the strongest price growth at 7.0% year-on-year.
The marketplace also highlighted changing buying habits in the premium sector.
It said rising prices for three-to-five-year-old premium models, combined with increasingly attractive manufacturer discounts and finance offers on new cars, meant some buyers were opting for brand-new vehicles instead.
Others were moving into older premium cars or choosing equivalent-aged volume brands to stay within budget, leaving some premium used stock taking longer to sell despite healthy supply levels.
Despite used EV prices rising overall, electric cars made up seven of the 10 biggest price falls in July.
Top 10 used car price falls
| Rank | Model | Average asking price | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BMW i5 | £46,186 | -28.8% |
| 2 | MG MGS5 | £21,462 | -28.7% |
| 3 | Lotus Eletre | £20,974 | -22.0% |
| 4 | Peugeot E-5008 | £47,917 | -21.6% |
| 5 | Ford Capri | £34,739 | -21.3% |
| 6 | BYD Sealion 7 | £29,547 | -20.7% |
| 7 | Polestar 3 | £29,972 | -20.4% |
| 8 | Ford Puma Gen-E | £69,077 | -19.2% |
| 9 | Subaru Solterra | £21,697 | -18.8% |
| 10 | Audi A6 e-tron Avant | £43,214 | -18.8% |
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: ‘July’s data shows a fundamentally resilient and well-priced used car market in which electric vehicles are leading the way.
‘Record annual price growth for used EVs, alongside faster stock turn, shows a segment that has moved decisively past its post-2022 correction, despite a slight softening of demand across the wider market.
‘For retailers, the opportunity lies in recognising where value is concentrating: in EVs, and in older stock aged three years and above, where constrained supply and stretched premium budgets are continuing to support strong pricing.’
Among individual models, the Alfa Romeo Giulia recorded the strongest annual price growth, up 17.8% year-on-year, followed by the Renault Zoe (15.6%), Toyota Yaris (15.0%), Mercedes-Benz C-Class (14.6%) and Porsche Boxster (14.4%).
At the other end of the market, newer electric models dominated the biggest price falls, led by the BMW i5 (-28.8%), MG MGS5 (-28.7%) and Lotus Eletre (-22.0%).