According to the latest Startline Used Car Tracker, a whopping 93% of dealers believe we’re fast approaching a pivotal moment for used EVs. Compiled by APD Global Research, the August survey included insights from 300 consumers and 60 dealers, and the message is clear: interest in electric vehicles is heating up.
More than half of dealers (53%) say buyers are becoming increasingly comfortable with EVs, while 51% feel electric models are now just another part of their everyday stock. Another 41% report that buyer interest is more serious than ever before.
And it’s not just talk, the numbers back it up. Auto Trader data shows the Volkswagen ID.3 is currently one of the fastest-selling used EVs in the UK. In fact, the average used EV now sells in just 27 days.
Paul Burgess, CEO of Startline Motor Finance, explained the motivation behind the survey: “We wanted to see whether dealers agreed with a recent University of Exeter paper suggesting the EV market is nearing a tipping point and the response was overwhelmingly positive.”
While only 3% of dealers disagreed, citing lingering buyer resistance, the overall sentiment is one of growing acceptance. Burgess added, “Electrification is very close to being an accepted fact of the used car market.”
Trade bodies like the BVRLA and VRA are urging the UK Government to step up with policies that support and encourage consumers to choose used EVs. And dealers are already adapting. “Most of the dealers we work with now have at least some electric cars in stock,” Burgess noted. “It’s partly due to shortages in certain age profiles, but it also reflects how EVs are becoming a normal part of the industry.”
That said, challenges remain — especially around charging infrastructure. “There’s still work to be done, particularly for people living in terraced houses and flats,” Burgess acknowledged. “But there’s a real sense of momentum now.”
