Used EVs hit price parity with petrol powered models

The price of secondhand electric cars is now in line with that for petrol models, according to new data.

Used EV and used petrol car prices hit near parity in quarter one of 2026, according to the latest figures from secondhand sales specialist Autorola, which also reported a sharp spike in EV demand.

Average prices for used EVs fell by 9.1% to £15,486 in the first three months of the year while petrol prices rose by 5.1% to £15,727.

Autorola, which specialises in selling used stock to dealerships, said that the £241 gap was the narrowest it had ever recorded.

It also reported a doubling in demand for used EVs from its customers over the first quarter. EVs jumped from 5.4% of its market at the end of Q4 2025 to 10.4% by March 2026, in what managing director Neil Frost called a “step change”.

Frost told AMOnline: “We have seen a major increase in bids for used EVs on our online MarketPlace portal with sales nearly doubling in just a three-month period.

“This has been helped by used EV prices falling alongside an increase in volumes reaching auction following the launch of the new 26-plate registration plate in March, while the increase in ICE fuel prices could have also contributed to their popularity.

“We have seen price parity on many new EVs and petrols for a while now, but this is the first time we have witnessed it on used cars. It feels like another step change in popularity for used EVs.

As well as reaching price parity with petrol, the EV models were newer and with lower mileage than the equivalent petrol ones, representing a better deal for buyers. Autorola’s figures show that the average EV sold was 32 months old with 20,002 miles on the clock. Petrol models, in comparison, were 37 months old and had 22,606 miles on average.

The used EV market has been growing consistently in recent years but reports suggest a spike in interest since the start of the Iran war. Data shows a sharp increase in searches and purchases since the end of February as fuel prices rocket in the wake of the conflict.