Used electric car buyers are becoming more interested in charging speeds than outright range, according to two-thirds of motor dealers surveyed in new research.

The study, carried out for the October edition of Startline’s Used Car Tracker, also revealed that over half (55%) of dealers say drivers are now far more informed about their specific range needs. Furthermore, half (50%) of dealers state that most electric cars now have adequate range for average buyers, and 42% believe there is a customer for every mileage range. However, 37% report that shorter-range models can still be tough to sell.

Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Dealers feel their customers are developing a more sophisticated understanding of charging, especially that a faster charging speed can be more significant than outright range. As electric cars become increasingly common, this kind of well-informed attitude should become more widespread.”

The research also highlighted specific mileage expectations, with 38% of dealers stating that most used electric car buyers look for a 300-mile range. Almost a quarter (23%) believe motorists prefer more distance at 400 miles, but only 17% think they are happy with less at 200 miles.

Dealers also report that just 3% of drivers will accept 100 miles, and only 3% are seeking 500 miles. However, around a sixth (15%) believe buyers simply want the longest range possible.

Burgess added: “Range is clearly a key issue for electric car buyers and, in asking these questions, we wanted to gain some insight into how used car dealers perceive the issue.

“Our research shows 300 miles is very much the sweet spot of the market but also that almost all demand fits into a band of 200-400 miles of range. There is very limited interest in cars that will travel less or more on a single charge.

“To us, this makes sense. Motorists tend to view the question of range in terms of how far they travel on their longest journeys – and 200-400 miles seems a useful distance before the need to use public highway charging arises.”

Startline’s Used Car Tracker is compiled monthly for Startline Motor Finance by APD Global Research. This time, 329 consumers and 60 dealers were questioned.