Electric cars are now the fastest-selling fuel type, new data from Autotrader reveals.

The average EV took 27 days to sell in November; two days quicker than November 2024 and five days quicker than the 32 days for the average used car.

Autotrader said the short resale time underlined EVs increasing integration into the mainstream used market, as well as both the potential EV opportunities for retailers and the growing confidence of buyers.

The Autotrader data also showed that EV prices remain down compared with last year (-5.5%), though the rate of contraction continues to moderate as the electric market matures and settles into closer alignment with the rest of the market.

In contrast, petrol used cars increased 1.5% YoY, marking the eighth consecutive month of annual price growth and one of the largest jumps seen in 2025. Diesel values also rose by 2.7% YoY.

Overall, average used retail prices rose to £17,103 in November in a two-year high, as a “resilient” market “shrugs off” the Budget. Demand for used cars continues to hold firm despite broader economic uncertainty and price performance continues to be underpinned by supply constraints.

Marc Palmer, head of strategy & insights at Autotrader, said: “November has been another month of encouraging stability. Prices are the highest they’ve been for almost two years, the pace of sale is holding steady, and demand has remained robust despite the noise around last week’s Budget. Car ownership is essential for most households, and that continues to underpin the strength of the used market even when wider economic indicators are mixed.

“We’re also seeing a maturing electric vehicle market, with EVs now the fastest-selling fuel type and behaving in a much more aligned way to the rest of the market. Combined with tight supply across key age and price segments, particularly three- to five-year-old cars, the fundamentals remain broadly positive while also highlighting that effective sourcing policies are crucial to unlocking success in this market.”

Ahead of the year-end, the overall new and used car market is on course to deliver around 9.76 million total cars exchanged in 2025, with expectations that 2026 will edge back above 10 million, returning activity to levels last consistently seen in 2019.

Colin Walker, head of transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligent Unit (ECIU), responded to the news that EVs were the fastest-selling type of used cars on Autotrader in November and said it was “no surprise” that used EVs are being snapped up faster than any other drivetrain.

“With ownership savings of £1,450 a year available from the moment drivers get their hands on the keys, an ever-increasing number of savvy families are turning their backs on paying a ‘petrol premium’ to run their old cars.

“However, this growth in EV sales is threatened by the mixed messages coming out of Government. While it won’t change the fact that EVs will remain considerably cheaper to run, the 3p-per-mile tax on EVs risks undermining consumer confidence. And the recent weakening of the Government’s new EV sales targets could encourage manufacturers to sell more plug-in hybrids – which burn 490% more fuel,  and cost hundreds of pounds a year more to run, than their manufacturers claim – and fewer EVs. This all risks holding hundreds of thousands of families back from being able to make the transition to cheaper and cleaner electric driving.”