Nine out of 10 dealers (90%) say the used electric car sector needs an industry-wide scheme for battery health tests.

The study, carried out by Startline Motor Finance, also found that 78% believe that battery health is an essential consideration for most electric car buyers.

However, there is some difference of opinion about how this should be delivered – 38% think battery health check providers should meet an industry-created standard while 36% say any such scheme should be government-backed.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Dealers are obviously at the sharp end of selling used cars and essentially, this data is telling us the overwhelming majority believe the sector needs some form of formal battery health check scheme, with more than three out of four thinking battery health is a key consideration for buyers.

“In a used electric car market where residual values remain low and there is a general degree of concern about the volume of vehicles starting to circulate, this is a move that could help to persuade potential buyers who are concerned about the possibility of battery failure or degradation. It could give them the confidence to buy.”

One of the promises made in the Labour party’s pre-election manifesto was the introduction of a standardised battery health check but such a scheme is still yet to arrive.

Burgess added: “There is, of course, nothing to stop any of the major industry bodies from creating their own standard with the many credible battery health check providers already working in the market.”

Very few dealers disagree with the need for an industry-wide scheme, with only 5% believing battery health is not the most important factor for EV buyers and 3% thinking battery health checks are an unnecessary expense for dealers.

“It’s clear that any views against a formal battery health check scheme form only a tiny minority of dealers and interestingly, when we asked used car buyers in this month’s Startline Used Car Tracker whether they would back such an initiative, 88% were in favour. It is an idea with something quite close to universal approval.”

The fleet, leasing and auto industry said earlier this summer that action was needed on clear battery health standards. The campaign, coordinated by the BVRLA, saw representatives from more than 30 companies deliver an open letter to the Transport Secretary highlighting how supporting the used battery electric vehicle market would help more households and SMEs access an electric vehicle. Signatories also called for broader interventions, such as battery health reports.

Meanwhile, research this year by Dealer Auction found almost half (45%) of trade buyers say they have avoided bidding on an EV due to a lack of information regarding its battery health.

More than half (51%) of those surveyed selected a battery health certificate as the top item that would give them more confidence when bidding on an electric car. This ranked above offerings including service history, EV-specific diagnostics reports and a third-party inspection.

Almost half (45%) of buyers would be more likely to bid on an EV with a battery health certificate than on an identical model without one.

Startline’s Used Car Tracker is carried out monthly by APD Global Research. This time, 300 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.