Comment on SMMT used car sales data

Commentating on the SMMT’s used car sales data for the last quarter - which found that sales of used electric vehicles rose 40% - Colin Walker, Head of Transport at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said: “Once again, sales of EVs are rising faster than any other type of vehicle on the used market, proving that the demand for cleaner and cheaper electric driving is very much there, and that more British families are increasingly able to make the switch.

"And it’s no surprise. Price parity between used EVs and their petrol equivalents has been reached, meaning the savings that come from an EV's cheaper running costs can be enjoyed the moment drivers get their hands on the keys. Analysis from the ECIU found that the best-selling second-hand EVs of 2024 save their owners £1600 a year in running costs over a petrol. [1]

“This growth is dependent on supply - the quicker that new EVs are sold, the quicker the used EV market will grow. But the Government’s recent weakening of its EV sales targets risks suppressing new EV sales growth. [2] This in turn will stunt the growth of the second-hand market, leaving many of us who rely on the used market to get our cars stuck driving dirtier and more expensive petrol cars in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis”.
 

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. Best-selling second-hand EVs saving drivers £1,600 a year: https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2024/best-selling-second-hand-evs-saving-drivers-1-600-a-year 

2. Weakening of UK EV sales rules ‘likely to result in significantly more carbon emissions’: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/may/19/weakening-of-uk-ev-sales-rules-likely-to-result-in-significantly-more-carbon-emissions 

For more information or for interview requests:

George Smeeton, Head of Communications, ECIU, Tel: 07894 571 153, email: george.smeeton@eciu.net