Used car dealers are warming up to electric vehicles in their showrooms, with a new survey showing a dramatic shift in attitudes over the past year.
The latest research from Startline Motor Finance reveals that dealer enthusiasm for used EVs has nearly doubled – jumping from 32% to 62% in just twelve months.
Even more telling: the number of dealers who see EVs as their biggest headache dropped from 54% to 37%.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, credits the change to simple exposure. More electric cars are hitting the used market, and dealers are getting comfortable with the day-to-day reality of selling them.
“EVs are appearing on the used market in ever greater numbers and handling them is becoming an everyday part of the job for more dealers. As a result, we’re seeing higher levels of acceptance.”
The charging infrastructure isn’t scaring dealers like it used to.
Only 47% now see the charging network as problematic – down from 67% last year. That’s a significant shift for an industry that’s watched customers hesitate over range anxiety and charging convenience.
Price volatility concerns are also fading. Just 31% of dealers worry about unstable EV values, compared to 40% previously.
Burgess points to this as evidence that the used EV market is maturing beyond just the cars themselves.
“It’s not just electric cars themselves where we are seeing improvements in dealer perceptions but supporting factors such as the charging infrastructure and the stabilisation of values and prices.”
Still, more than a third of dealers consider electrification their biggest challenge.
Burgess acknowledges there’s work ahead: “While our results show significant progress has been made, there is still much further to travel.”
Market Momentum Building
The findings align with research from the University of Exeter earlier this year, which suggested the used car market was approaching a tipping point toward electric vehicles.
Startline’s data backs this up – 90% of dealers agreed with the university’s conclusions about the market’s direction.
The shift reflects broader changes in how the automotive industry handles electric vehicles. As more EVs reach the three-to-five-year mark when they typically enter the used market, dealers are developing systems and expertise they didn’t have before.
What started as unfamiliar territory is becoming routine business for many retailers across the country.
