The BVRLA’s ‘Used EV Week’ is underway to promote used electric vehicles and close the growing gap between supply and customer demand.

The awareness campaign highlights the vital role that the used vehicle market plays in the transition, with social media-led activity running from 20 to 24 October using the #UsedEVWeek hashtag.

Adam Forshaw, head of communications at the BVRLA, said: “The used vehicle market is four times the size of its new counterpart. For the transition to zero-emission vehicles to work, all road users need affordable access to cleaner, greener vehicles that meet their needs.

“Used EV Week is highlighting the vital role that the used vehicle market plays in the transition. Driven by vehicle leasing companies and their fleet operator partners, uptake of new electric vehicles continues to rise. Those vehicles all end up in the used market. We have a collective responsibility to make sure that customers have confidence in what they are getting, understand the technology, and can fund the vehicle in an affordable way.”

Alongside external communications activity, the BVRLA and industry representatives are conducting direct engagements with policymakers and key governmental departments. Those sessions will explore how industry and government can work together on measures that will accelerate adoption of used EVs and bring long-term stability to the market.

External activity will explore the current state of the used electric vehicle market and how it can make EVs more accessible to more drivers. Content will incorporate consumer trend updates, details of the different ways to fund or access used vehicles, and where initiatives such as battery health certificates are giving customers confidence in used EVs.

The vehicle rental and leasing association has called on other members with an interest in seeing a healthy, sustainable second-hand market for electric vehicles to also get involved.

The awareness week aligns with the BVRLA’s #happyEVafter campaign, which warns that used EV values have dropped by more than 50% over the last 24 months and calls for intervention to boost demand in the used EV market.

Run in partnership with EVA England, Autotrader and the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), the campaign sets out key requirements to drive the used EV market, including a public information campaign, standardised battery health certificates, grants for used EVs, a VAT cut and a Benefit-in-Kind reduction for used models, and access for the Civil Service to used EV salary sacrifice.