DEMAND for used electric vehicles (EVs) jumped by a third in 2025 in record figures as they “move steadily into the mainstream”, new research has found.
Used EV transactions are up 45.7% to 274,815 units, as EV demand jumped by almost a third in 2025, SMMT’s Used Car Index showed.
Demand for EVs accelerated significantly, driven by an ever-increasing choice of models and the potential for lower running costs, the index revealed.
Sales of used EVs also achieved a record 3.5% market share, up from 2.5% in 2024.
Plug-in hybrid sales rose by 6.3% to 88,032 units, while hybrids increased by 28.6% to 407,531 units.
Combined, used electrified car transactions rose 30.9% on 2024 to a record 770,378 units – accounting for almost one in 10 (9.9%) purchases.
Petrol and diesel models, however, continued to dominate, comprising 89.9% of used transactions. Petrol remained the best-selling powertrain, rising 1.5% to represent 56.7% of the market, while diesel declined by 3.5%, to account for 33.1% of sales.
EVs move steadily into the mainstream
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “A third year of used car sales growth underscores the market’s resilience, with recovering new car demand revitalising choice and affordability – especially for EVs – in the used market.
“The record number of buyers making the switch signals growing confidence in zero and ultra-low emission motoring. Maintaining this momentum, however, and driving the fleet renewal needed to decarbonise our roads at pace, must start with ensuring a strong and sustainable new car market.”
James Hosking, managing director of AA Cars, said people are increasingly gravitating towards EVs.
He added: “The increase in used car sales in 2025, driven by record electric vehicle demand, underlines the continued need for accessible, dependable mobility, as consumers balance affordability, choice and evolving fuel preferences.”
He continued: “Importantly, electric and hybrid vehicles are no longer niche in the used sector and are continuing to move steadily into the mainstream. As more second-hand EVs and hybrids come onto the market at more accessible price points, they are playing an increasingly important role in driving overall used car sales, with buyers becoming more confident in considering electrified options, particularly where running costs and everyday usability stack up.
“AA Cars’ latest quarterly Used Car Index shows that while EV and hybrid prices continued to soften in Q4, the pace of decline slowed sharply. Average prices for the top 20 most searched-for electrified models fell 1.5% over the quarter and were down 9.3% year on year, but nearly half of those models actually rose in value in Q4. This points to a market that is beginning to stabilise after last year’s reset, as pricing moves closer to what buyers are willing to pay and confidence starts to return.”
A market that’s thriving
Matas Buzelis, motoring expert at carVertical, said the EV market is thriving.
He added: “The SMMT figures showing used car sales achieving three consecutive years of growth underlines a market that is thriving. This is especially true for the growth of used electric vehicle sales, which now represent a record 3.5% market share.
“Even with inflation calmer than it was, borrowing costs are still a real consideration for households, so it’s no surprise more drivers are leaning on the second-hand market as they head towards the March plate change and the usual spring uplift in activity.”
Samuel Mather-Holgate, Managing Director & IFA at Swindon-based Mather and Murray Financial, said the EV industry just keeps improving.
He continued: “EVs are getting better in terms of range, performance and general aesthetics. They look like cars now, not spaceships.
“Infrastructure is also improving, but the government could turbo boost this as well as increasing incentives to buy electric. If this was their priority they could make a real impact, but the market will do this at a slower pace anyway.”
