1 in 23 used cars sold in the UK are now electric
Key Points
- Nearly 1 in 23 used cars sold in the UK in Q1 2026 was battery electric, a record market share, with used EV transactions up nearly a third year on year.
- The wider used car market was essentially flat at down 0.2%, with the SMMT pointing to manufacturer investment in new EVs as the driver of growth in the second-hand segment.
- The average age of UK vehicles has reached 9.7 years, up from 8 in 2019, prompting the SMMT to call for a full review of the UK's EV transition.
- Electric vans up to 4.25 tonnes will follow lighter van MOT rules from the start of June, giving operators access to over 23,000 test centres rather than 500.
- The UK government has signed a memorandum of understanding with British self-driving firm Wayve to accelerate connected and automated mobility rollout.
Nearly 1 in 23 used cars sold in the UK in the first quarter of 2026 were battery electric, a record market share, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The trade body said used EV transactions grew by nearly a third in Q1 while the wider used car market was essentially flat, down 0.2%.
The record share was driven by long-term growth in the new car market, where the SMMT described manufacturer investment in products and subsidies as unprecedented.
Most UK motorists buy their next vehicle from the used market, making the segment a key indicator of how EV adoption is filtering through to mainstream buyers. Higher fuel prices linked to the conflict in Iran may also be feeding interest in used electric vehicles.
“Interest in used EVs may be helped by higher fuel prices amid the conflict in Iran, but turning that interest into substantial market growth will require every fiscal and policy lever to be pulled,” said Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of the SMMT.
The average age of vehicles on UK roads has reached 9.7 years, up from 8 years in 2019, the SMMT said.
Fleet renewal is central to accelerating the EV transition, with pressure in the new car market a key constraint on the turnover that feeds the used segment.
The body has called for a full review of the UK’s EV transition to align policy with market realities, arguing that smarter regulation is needed across cars, vans and HGVs, which face even more demanding decarbonisation targets.
Legislation approved this week brings electric vans weighing up to 4.25 tonnes under the same MOT regulation as lighter vans rather than HGVs, with the change taking effect from the start of June.
Operators will no longer be required to use tachographs, the digital devices that record driving hours under HGV rules, and will have access to more than 23,000 van MOT test centres compared with around 500 for HGVs.
The SMMT, which has long called for the measure, said it will reduce the cost and administrative burden of running an electric van and remove one of several barriers holding back adoption.
The connected and automated mobility (CAM) sector has also seen movement. The UK government and British self-driving technology firm Wayve signed a memorandum of understanding this week, covering safety assurance, large-scale simulation on UK roads, and integrating self-driving technology into production-ready vehicles.
The partnership is intended to accelerate CAM rollout in the UK and draw investment into the sector.
“Such collaboration will help accelerate CAM rollout in the UK and attract investment to support skilled jobs and drive industry growth,” Hawes said.
