Almost nine out of 10 motorists (87%) say it is important to have an independent, certified used electric car assessment showing the battery’s state of health.

Battery degradation is generally happening much more slowly than anticipated

While 83% want to know how long the battery will take to fully charge, 82% also want verification on the amount of battery capacity that has been lost since new and 81% how much capacity it is likely to be lost in the future.

Additionally, 79% would like an indication of how much charge the battery currently holds, according to August’s Used Car Tracker research, carried out by Startline Motor Finance.

Startline CEO Paul Burgess said the research, which quizzed 321 consumers and 62 dealers, indicated used car buyers’ top fear that an EV battery would fail or degrade very quickly, costing them several thousand pounds to buy a replacement.

But he stressed that such worries were largely unfounded in the real world.

“There are now millions of electric cars on roads across the world and battery degradation is generally happening much more slowly than anticipated, while outright battery failure, although not unknown, remains a rare occurrence.

“However, used car buyers clearly want reassurance and some form of formal testing that shows the battery of the vehicle they are considering buying has been well-looked-after, with a good idea of how it is likely to perform in the future, is probably the best available solution to allay their worries.”

Burgess added that one of the promises made in the new Labour government’s manifesto was the introduction of a standardised battery health check – and said it would be a very good move.

“Having a government-backed and -approved battery test that provided the information consumers want would be a very real boost for the used electric car market, especially if it was backed by some form of warranty.”

Research published by the Green Finance Institute (GFI) in 2023 found battery health concerns were the number one barrier for used electric vehicle buyers. The UK remarketing sector has also called for a standard battery check for used EVs to accelerate buyer confidence. More than two-thirds (70%) of Vehicle Remarketing Association (VRA) members said it was a key issue that needed resolving.

The BVRLA has also been exploring ways of promoting greater confidence in the used electric vehicle market. Its ‘Battery Health Deep Dive’ last year brought battery experts together and shared a large piece of research suggesting average battery degradation across a range of EVs stood at under 2% per year.