The growth helped lift Britain’s wider second-hand car market back above two million quarterly transactions for the first time in a second quarter since 2021. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, 2,009,318 used vehicles changed hands during the period, representing an overall rise of 0.7%.
Fuel Prices Coincide with Sharp Growth in Used EV Demand
Demand for used electric cars was particularly strong in April and May. According to figures reported by This is Money, transactions increased by 110.9% in April and 57.6% in May compared with the same months in 2025. Growth then moderated to 37.8% in June.
The increase came as motorists faced higher fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East. Average petrol prices reached about 160p a litre, while the cost of filling the average family diesel car rose above £100. Used EVs accounted for 5.5% of second-hand car purchases between April and June, equivalent to more than one in 18 buyers. A year earlier, their share stood at 3.3%, or around one in 30.
A broader choice of electric vehicles also coincided with the increase in demand. More recent models, including vehicles offering longer battery ranges, have entered the used market. Typical second-hand EVs currently offer ranges of between 150 and 250 miles, while the average new electric model delivers around 300 miles on a charge.
Used EV prices have also remained relatively firm. Cazana data cited by This is Money showed that prices for three-year-old electric vehicles increased by an average of 1.6% in July. That marked four consecutive months of growth, amounting to almost 7%, or roughly £1,500 per vehicle.
Petrol and Diesel Still Dominate despite Changing Buying Patterns
Electric cars remain a minority of the overall used market. Petrol was still the most widely purchased fuel type in the second quarter, with 1,121,243 transactions, despite sales falling by 1.2% year on year.
Diesel sales declined by 7.2% to 620,045 vehicles. According to the SMMT, reduced availability from the new-car market has contributed to the fall in second-hand diesel supply. Even with the growth in electrified vehicles, 86.7% of buyers still chose conventionally fuelled cars.
Hybrid electric vehicle sales also increased, rising by 31.2% to 130,825 units. Their share of the used market climbed from 5.0% to 6.5%. Plug-in hybrid vehicles moved in the opposite direction. Second-hand PHEV transactions fell by 6.8% to 22,856 units, reducing their market share from 1.2% to 1.1%.
The Ford Fiesta remained Britain’s best-selling used car during the quarter, with 73,570 transactions. It was followed by the Vauxhall Corsa with 59,247 and the Volkswagen Golf with 55,786.
Mike Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, said the return to growth was “good news for motorists and the wider automotive sector”, adding that used EV sales were rising strongly as more choice became available to buyers. He also said that plentiful and affordable supply remained important because the used market is where most people purchase their cars.
