Sales of used electric cars soared to a new high in Q1 despite overall market stagnation, new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal.

Battery electric vehicle (BEV) transactions grew by 32.0% to 86,943 units, as nearly one in 23 buyers (4.3%) made the switch; up from around one in 30 last year.

At the same time, demand for used hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) rose by 27.6% to 128,039 units, increasing their market share to 6.4%. But plug-in hybrid (PHEV) transactions fell by-8.9% to 20,021 units, comprising 1.0% of the market.

Combined, electrified vehicles accounted for 11.7% of used cars finding new owners in the first quarter of 2026.

The rise in EV sales bucked a stagnant used car market overall. Sales were down 0.2% to 2,016,232 units in Q1, ending a 12-quarter growth streak. The SMMT said the slight fall was the result of a 2.3% fall in March, which followed an exceptionally high performance in March 2025; the only March exceeding 700,000 sales since 2017.

The SMMT said the rise in BEV transactions was the result of sustained investment by manufacturers into new models. Supported by substantial discounts and government incentives, these BEVs are filtering into the used market in ever greater numbers.

The SMMT data also showed that petrol remained the best-selling fuel type, despite transactions falling 0.6% to 1,147,969 units, while diesel demand experienced a 6.7% decline to 629,987 units, reflecting reduced supply from the new car market. Even so, conventionally fuelled cars still accounted for 88.2% of total transactions in the first quarter.

Supermini sales dipped 1.0%, but at 648,229 units remained the most popular used purchase, accounting for 32.2% of the market. Lower medium was the next biggest segment, with 546,249 units changing hands, an increase of 0.2% to a 27.1% share. SUVs/crossovers saw the highest growth, up 5.4% to 357,295 units, while MPVs experienced the sharpest decline; down 6.5%, to 69,886 units.

Echoing the new car market, black and grey remained the best-selling colours, up 0.4% and 2.8%, with white back in the top three after 3.1% growth to overtake blue. Cream recorded the strongest growth, up 11.7%, although volumes were small at 1,399 transactions, and pink recorded the steepest decline, down 17.8% to 1,214 units. Maroon was the least popular, with just 1,108 cars changing hands.

The SMMT also warned that the average age of the UK vehicle parc has risen, as announced in its latest Motorparc data, and now stands at a new high of 9.7 years – up from eight years in 2019.

Meanwhile, the latest new car outlook expects the market to rise 3.6% to 2.093 million this year, but BEV share has been downgraded to 26.8%, from 28.5%, following an underperforming first quarter.

The industry body renewed its calls for a rapid review of the UK’s ZEV mandate to “align policy with market realities”.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said that “every fiscal and policy lever must be pulled to ensure a healthy new car market that delivers zero-emission vehicles that can in future flow through to the used market”.

High costs push used buyers toward EVs

Philip Nothard, insight director at Cox Automotive, pointed out that Q1 2026 transactions again exceeded two million, marking only the second such result since 2019.

But he warned that the marginal year‑on‑year decline points to a market beginning to plateau.

“With demand under pressure from broader economic headwinds, sustaining this level of activity may prove challenging without a meaningful improvement in consumer confidence and purchasing power,” he added.

Matas Buzelis, motoring expert at CarVertical, said falling used car sales were another sign that drivers were feeling the squeeze, but added that more motorists are exploring electric vehicles as a way to reduce running costs.

“However, many are still taking time before making the switch, especially as home energy costs are expected to rise dramatically over the summer,” he added.

Iain Reid, global content director at Carwow, said the SMMT figures mirror latest Carwow data, which shows used EV enquiries are up 30% compared with February and March. Meanwhile, a recent poll of 300 Carwow customers revealed that 39% say they are more likely to buy an EV or hybrid as a result of the global political situation.

“Both of these seem to indicate that some consumers are looking at the price of fuel and seeing a used EV as a way to reduce their monthly motoring costs.

“But I think it also shows the depth of choices available to consumers now. That gives them the opportunity and the confidence to consider a used EV that they perhaps didn’t have before.”

Finally, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) said the increase in BEV demand must be matched with an acceleration in skills training.

Nick Connor, CEO of the professional body for the automotive sector, said: “The latest IMI TechSafe data revealed that only one in four UK technicians are currently qualified to work on electric vehicles, raising concerns about the sector’s readiness to support growing EV adoption.

“However, it’s easy to understand why the sector is not moving at the same pace on skills as EV adoption. Automotive businesses are battling a number of challenges, not least of which there’s still a significant pool of ICE vehicles that must be maintained. So investing in new EV skills can sometimes seem like a future need rather than what’s required today.”

Connor said targeted government support for training and upskilling was essential to ensure the UK has the capability, confidence and safety standards needed to deliver net zero.

Together, with the right investment in people as well as technology, the UK can lead the way, but skills must be treated as a core part of the infrastructure.”

Rising oil prices fuel major increase in used EV sales, reports Indicata

The Middle Eastern conflict has had a marked positive impact on the popularity of used EVs in the UK, according to Indicata.

Its latest Market Watch report reveals that sales rose to a record 9.8% of all used cars sold in April, up from 7.4% in March, while stock levels reduced from 10% to 9.1% as drivers turn to electric to combat the rising fuel pump prices of both petrol and diesel.

The Market Days’ Supply (MDS) of EVs also fell to a record low of 41 days. This means electric cars are the second fastest-selling powertrain behind petrol cars which have an MDS of 39 days. This EV figure is the lowest in the 16 European countries where Indicata publishes its Market Watch report.

The MDS of EVs according to Indicata data was 85 days in January, which shows just how quickly market sentiment towards used EVs has changed in just a few months. MDS is derived from dividing the current supply of inventory by the average daily retail sales rate over the past 45 days. A lower number signifies high demand and quick sales.

Dean Merritt, Indicata UK’s national retail strategy manager, said: “We are seeing a clear acceleration in used BEV sales, combined with a contraction in stock levels which is improving market fluidity. It has helped clear the backlog of used EV stock; however, this adjustment has not yet translated into an increase in prices.”

Used EV prices fell by 0.5% in April, according to Indicata’s data. The business says the current market dynamics are likely to support a stabilisation of residual values in the short term; however, it remains uncertain how sustainable this shift will be if energy prices begin to normalise over the coming weeks and months.

“It puts the used EV market in a good place as consumer and wholesale demand is growing at a time when more EVs are being de-fleeted by leasing and salary sacrifice companies,” said Merritt.