7:00 am, July 8, 2026
Used electric cars are continuing to be the hottest second-hand cars for dealers to stock, as prices have risen for a third consecutive month.
Latest figures from data experts Cazana shown to Car Dealer ahead of wider publication show average retail values for three-year-old used cars edged up by 0.2% in June, or around £50.
This was despite seasonal distractions such as the hot weather and the World Cup, and follows May which saw a similar trend in spite of bank holidays.
But used electric cars significantly outpaced the market, with values climbing 2% during June and almost 5% over the past three months.
Speaking to Car Dealer Live, automotive expert Derren Martin said the market had remained remarkably resilient throughout the first half of the year.
‘It’s been positive all year. It’s been really healthy,’ he said in the video posted at the top of this story. ‘We’ve seen values increasing, not dramatically, but we’re talking retail advertised prices. They’ve increased throughout the first six months of the year.’
Martin described June’s 0.2% increase as ‘very stable’, adding: ‘There’s lots of distractions around at the moment. Obviously, the hot weather can switch consumers off. It’s been almost too hot to go and look at forecourts. You’ve got the World Cup, you’ve got the tennis, you’ve got various things that can distract. So I would say it’s definitely a positive when it’s still a small movement up still.’
He added that slightly weaker wholesale values combined with rising retail prices were helping dealers improve profitability.
‘With trade values dropping slightly and retail values going up slightly, it means that margins continue to increase. So I would count it as a positive month, definitely.’
Electric cars continue to be the market’s hot topic.
Martin said he believes higher fuel prices earlier in the month, coupled with growing consumer confidence in EV ownership, helped push values higher.
‘We’re now past the early adopter stage. We’re now into the next stage of that, so I think it will continue.’
The biggest demand remains for affordable electric hatchbacks priced between £10,000 and £15,000.
‘That price bracket is where people want to buy a used car,’ said Martin. ‘If dealers can stock them around the £10,000 to £15,000 mark, then that hits certain sweet spots with the consumer.’
He added that dealers are increasingly struggling to buy enough stock.
‘I spoke to a couple of dealers who didn’t have many on their forecourt… they said, “Well, we can’t get enough of them. We’d like to have more”.’
The Cazana monthly data also showed that EVs were some of the quickest cars to sell in June.
The Hyundai Kona, Tesla Model 3 and Volkswagen ID.3 took just 15 to 16 days to sell, while hatchbacks in general were the strongest-performing body style, recording a 1% increase in values during June.
Cazana’s data – which tracks more than 12,000 sources – revealed a mixed picture elsewhere in the market, however.
While three-year-old stock remained strong, nearly new one-year-old retail advertised values felt minor pressure, dropping by approximately 1% (c.£300). Five-year-old cars saw a negligible 0.4% decline (£50), while older, 10-year-old budget stock saw a 1.2% decline (£90).
Looking ahead, Martin expects the market to remain stable over the summer before larger volumes of used stock return in September.
‘Generally July and August tend to be pretty stable months anyway. I see no reason not to expect something similar to what’s happened this month, with maybe some EVs continuing to rise in value.’
Watch the video interview in full at the top of this story
