UK used EV sales jump 32%

Used electric cars are having a real moment in the UK — and the interesting part is where it’s happening. Not in shiny new-car showrooms, but in the secondhand market, where most people actually buy. On May 12, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said used battery-electric vehicle transactions rose 32% in Q1 2026 from a year earlier, hitting a new record for both volume and share. (smmt.co.uk) That matters because affordability has been the missing piece in Britain’s EV story. ### What changed this week? SMMT’s new quarterly data showed the UK used-car market basically flat in Q1 2026 — down 0.2% to 2,016,232 transactions — but used battery EVs went the other way, jumping 32%. (smmt.co.uk) Hybrids also grew, while used plug-in hybrids fell 8.9%. So the headline is simple: the overall market stalled, but pure-electric used cars kept climbing. ### Why is that a bigger deal than it sounds? Because the used market is the mass market. New EVs get attention, but secondhand cars are where mainstream adoption either happens or doesn’t. A rise in used EV turnover means more households are finding prices, model choice, and running costs good enough to make the switch. (smmt.co.uk) Basically, this is where EVs stop being an early-adopter product and start becoming normal. ### So why are used EV sales rising now? Supply is finally catching up. The UK has had several years of stronger new-EV registrations, and those cars are now cycling into the used market through fleet renewals, leases, and company-car turnover. (smmt.co.uk) That creates more choice and softer prices. SMMT has been making the same point for a while — recovering new-car sales are feeding availability in used EVs. ### Are the numbers already big? Bigger than they used to be, but still early. In full-year 2025, used battery-EV transactions reached a record 274,815, up 45.7%, for a 3.5% share of the used market. In 2024, the figure was 188,382, up 57.4%, with a 2.5% share. (smmt.co.uk) So the direction is strong, but petrol and diesel still dominate secondhand sales by a huge margin. ### Why does share matter so much? Because raw growth can flatter a small base. Market share tells you whether EVs are genuinely becoming more common in used-car buying, not just rising from tiny numbers. And they are. Used BEV share moved from 1.7% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024, then to 3.5% across 2025, with Q1 2026 setting another record. (smmt.co.uk) That’s steady, compounding adoption. ### What’s pulling buyers in? Mostly economics. Used EVs are cheaper to buy than they were a couple of years ago, and they still offer lower running costs once you own them. More models are available too, which matters more than people admit. (smmt.co.uk) A secondhand market works when buyers can compare price, battery range, body style, and brand — not when there are only a few obvious choices. ### What’s still holding the market back? Scale. Even after these records, used EVs are still a small slice of all secondhand transactions. And the pipeline depends on the new-car market continuing to put enough EVs on the road in the first place. (smmt.co.uk) That’s the catch — a healthy used market is downstream of healthy new EV sales. If new registrations wobble, used supply tightens a few years later. ### Bottom line The 32% jump matters because it shows the UK EV transition is moving beyond affluent new-car buyers. The real test was always the used market. Britain isn’t finished that transition — not close — but this is what it looks like when the economics start working. (smmt.co.uk 1) (smmt.co.uk 2) (smmt.co.uk 3)