Are used electric cars worth it? What the 2026 numbers say

Used electric car sales in the UK grew 67% in the second quarter of 2026, while used diesel sales fell 7.2%. So are used electric cars worth it? A lot of drivers have already decided they are. 

More people than ever are picking a second hand electric car, for practical rather than idealistic reasons. This article covers what the data shows, what a used electric car costs to run, and how many are overcoming the worries that stop people switching.

TL;DR

• Used electric car sales in the UK grew 67% in the second quarter of 2026, faster than any other fuel type according to the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders). 
• The Tesla Model 3 is now the most in-demand used car on Motorway’s website, ahead of every petrol and diesel model, according to the Motorway National Car Index.
• Used electric car leasing grew 122% at Octopus EV in the twelve months to June 2026.
• Just over 4 in 10 used electric cars are priced at £20,000 or under, according to Auto Trader.
• EV batteries hold up better than most people expect. The average electric car keeps 81.6% of its battery capacity after eight years (Geotab).
• An approved used lease with Octopus EV covers servicing, MOT, and road tax, so most running costs are known up front.

The short answer? Very. Used electric cars are the fastest growing part of the UK used car market. Sales rose 67% in the second quarter of 2026, taking them to 5.5% of all used car sales, up from 3.3% a year earlier. Petrol and diesel both went the other way.

In the three months to June 2026, 110,761 used electric cars changed hands in the UK. That's 67% more than the same period a year before, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

No other fuel type came close. The whole used car market grew by less than 1% over the same period. Electric did all the heavy lifting.

Source: SMMT used car market figures, second quarter of 2026, published August 2026.

More recent figures suggest the growth carried on through the summer. Between 1st July and 8th September 2026, the number of used electric cars sold through Motorway more than doubled, up 115% on the same period in 2025, according to the Motorway National Car Index.

The Tesla Model 3 now tops Motorway's list of the most in-demand used cars, of any fuel type. A few years ago, an electric car at the top of a used car chart would have been unthinkable. Now it's a sign that used EVs have gone mainstream.

Buying outright is only part of the picture. Demand for used electric car leases from Octopus EV alone, grew 122% year on year in the twelve months to June 2026. According to the BVRLA (British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association), used cars taken through salary sacrifice schemes rose fivefold in a year. Personal leases on used cars rose nearly sixfold. Admittedly, the total numbers are lower than the number of cars bought outright, but they’re significant growth rates in leasing. 

Three things have changed. The cars got cheaper, the running costs stayed low, and there are far more to choose from than there were three years ago.

The idea that every electric car is a £50,000 car hasn't been true for a while. About one in five used electric cars is priced under £15,000, and 43% are priced at £20,000 or under, according to Auto Trader.

That puts a used electric car in the same bracket as a used petrol hatchback. The cheapest used models on the market start well below £10,000.

They're also holding their value better than they used to. For a while, the big story around used EVs was steep depreciation. That's changing. Sellers received 6% more for a used electric car in the summer of 2026 than they did a year earlier, according to the Motorway National Car Index.

This is where the switch usually pays for itself. Charging at home costs a fraction of filling up.

A full charge at home costs just £4.32 in a typical electric car, compared with £38.74 for the same amount of miles in an equivalent petrol car. 

That gap depends on your tariff, your car and how much of your charging you do at home. Charge mostly on the public network and the sums look different, because public charging costs are higher. Partly because public charging carries VAT at the standard rate, while home electricity doesn't.

The used market usually runs 4 to 6 years behind the new car market, or 3 to 4 years for cars bought on finance, according to Motorway. So the electric cars bought brand new in the early wave of EV adoption are now coming back onto the market, at prices that suit more modest budgets.

A used market only works properly when there's choice, and choice is what pushes prices down. The wave of cars coming off leases in 2026 is exactly what a healthy second hand market looks like.

The choice is widening in brands too. A year ago, three Chinese brands appeared in Motorway's resale data for the first time. Now there are six, covering 13 models, including BYD, OMODA and JAECOO. More used car buyers are open to newer brands if it means getting more car for their money.

And charging at home has become much easier. There were an estimated 200,000 home EV chargers in the UK in 2021. Today there are around 1.4 million, according to Zapmap figures, cited by Motorway.

Plenty of people consider a used EV and still hesitate. That's fair. Here are the main reasons they do, and what the data says about each.

This worry comes from a reasonable place. Everyone has owned a phone whose battery gave up after two years. Car batteries are built differently. 

On average, an electric car keeps 81.6% of its original battery capacity after eight years, based on a study of real cars in use. Another 2025 study of more than 8,000 electric cars, some up to 12 years old, found an average battery health of 95.15%.

There's a safety net too. Manufacturer battery warranties typically run to eight years or 100,000 miles, so a car that's only three or four years old is still likely to be covered. Check the specific car, because terms vary between manufacturers. Plus, when you lease with Octopus EV, every approved used electric car we lease is under four years old and fully refurbished. 

Here’s the difference between an approved used car and an anonymous one on a forecourt. You know where it came from.

Our approved used electric cars were previously demo cars, former company cars, or cars coming back to us at the end of a previous lease. They come with a documented history, and every one is refurbished and checked to be free from major damage and faults before it’s delivered to you. Every approved used EV is under four years old and fully serviced. That applies to all of them, not just some of them.

Servicing, maintenance, repairs and road tax are included in your monthly payment on an approved used lease with Octopus EV, so the unexpected garage bill isn't your problem. Some exclusions apply, so make sure you’re clear on what is and isn’t included.

It’s worth being aware that three things aren’t included: 

• Insurance, as with most lease agreements, isn’t included in your monthly payment 
• Tyres are an optional extra you can add for an extra cost each month 
• Breakdown cover isn't part of the lease, so you'll want to arrange that separately or check whether the car still has manufacturer roadside assistance.

Yes, it’s very unlikely that a 4 year old car’s range would be impacted substantially. But EV batteries do lose a little capacity over time, and the newest models have bigger batteries.

Real-world range has climbed quickly. The average is now around 300 miles, up from about 235 miles in 2024, according to RAC figures cited in the Motorway National Car Index. That figure is for the newest cars, so a three or four year old used EV will usually do less. But it doesn't need to do 300 miles to cover a normal week.

The average British driver covers about 127 miles a week. Most used electric cars will do that on a single charge with room to spare, which means charging roughly once a week rather than worrying about it daily.

The real question isn't what the maximum range is. It's whether the car covers your normal week. For most people, it does.

You're not stuck. Public charging has grown massively alongside the cars, and an approved used lease with us comes with 10% off charging through Octopus Electroverse, which gives you access to a large public network across the UK and Europe on one account.

It’s true that charging at home is cheaper, so it’s worth doing the maths on public charging before you commit.

If you like the sound of a used electric car but want the certainty of having it looked after, an approved used lease is worth looking at. Every approved used electric car we offer is under four years old and fully refurbished to high standards. All of our used EVs are free from major damage and faults before they come your way.

Your monthly payment covers the car, servicing, MOT, and road tax, with exclusions set out in your agreement. You can also add tyre cover for an extra monthly cost. 

You also get 10% off public charging through Octopus Electroverse, and you’ll get an exclusive discount on home charging with Octopus Energy’s EV Saver tariff.

If your employer runs an electric car salary sacrifice scheme, you may be able to drive one of the same used electric cars, paying from your pre-tax salary instead, which can save you even more because you’ll reduce your tax bill. 

If, like the majority of the UK, you want to buy rather than lease your next car, take a look at the Octopus cars now available to buy through our partner, Car360. 

Generally yes. Electric cars have far fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel cars, so there's less to wear out. There's no clutch, no exhaust and no gearbox in the traditional sense. Battery health is the main thing to check, and on cars under four years old it's very rarely a problem.

Longer than most people expect. A Geotab study of cars in everyday use found the average electric car keeps 81.6% of its original battery capacity after eight years. Manufacturer battery warranties typically run to eight years or 100,000 miles, so most used electric cars are still covered.

Auto Trader data found about one in five used electric cars priced under £15,000, and 43% at £20,000 or under. Leasing spreads the cost monthly instead, with servicing and road tax usually included.

It depends on what you want to worry about. Buying means you own the car and carry the risk on what it's worth later. Leasing means a fixed monthly cost with servicing, maintenance, repairs and road tax included on our approved used cars, and you hand it back at the end. Depreciation’s not your problem. 

Yes. Electric cars have paid Vehicle Excise Duty since April 2025. Most used electric cars registered between April 2017 and March 2025 pay the £200 standard rate, and cars registered from April 2025 pay £10 in the first year then the standard rate. On our approved used leases, road tax is included in your monthly payment.

As for eVED, aka the ‘pay per mile’ tax that is due to come in from April 2028 for electric cars, that won’t be included in your monthly payment as the amount you pay depends on how many miles you drive.