Used EV sales reached a record high last month as drivers increasingly abandoned petrol and diesel vehicles for electric alternatives.
Marketcheck, a used vehicle market specialist, reported that secondhand electric car sales jumped almost 50% from the previous month as the Iran conflict continued creating fuel price volatility.
32,880 used EVs changed hands during March – representing 10,499 more sales than February and marking the highest monthly total Marketcheck has ever recorded.
The surge coincided with AA Cars reporting more than 40% higher search volumes for electric vehicles on its marketplace platform.
Global Energy Instability Drives Switch
Alastair Campbell from Marketcheck UK explained the timing wasn’t coincidental.
“March was a landmark month for the used EV market. The timing is significant. Buyers were already responding to better affordability and a wider choice of stock, but instability in global energy markets following events involving Iran appears to have added further momentum.”
Campbell noted that fuel price uncertainty typically pushes motorists toward electric alternatives – and March’s figures demonstrate how rapidly the market responds.
Between early March and the first week of April, used EV views on AA Cars’ website climbed more than 43%. The marketplace said this trend strengthened throughout the period as drivers faced higher pump prices.
Fuel Costs Hit Wallet Hard
Petrol now costs 24p more per litre than a year ago. This means filling a typical 55-litre tank costs £13.50 more than it did in April 2024.
Edmund King, AA president, said rising fuel prices force drivers to recalculate their motoring expenses.
“When fuel prices spike, drivers quickly start questioning the true cost of motoring – and whether there’s a better-value alternative. That’s where electric vehicles come into sharper focus.”
King emphasized that as petrol and diesel costs climb, more motorists recognize EVs’ lower daily running costs.
The AA Cars data shows this behavioral shift is already underway – with EVs moving from niche consideration into mainstream shopping lists as drivers crunch the numbers.
