Used EV sellers are cutting sale times by a full week when they include battery health certificates with their vehicles, according to new industry data released during Used EV Week.
Battery check specialist Generational analyzed six months of sales data and found EVs with health certificates sold in 43.1 days on average. Those without certificates took 50.4 days to find buyers.
The findings highlight how battery anxiety continues to shape the used EV market.
As more electric cars enter the secondhand market, buyers want proof that expensive battery packs haven’t degraded significantly. Most can’t easily check battery condition themselves – making third-party health reports increasingly valuable.
What Battery Health Checks Reveal
Companies like Generational test how much usable capacity remains in an EV’s battery compared to when it was new.
The reports also estimate real-world driving range and flag potential faults within battery packs.
Oliver Phillpott, CEO of Generational, said the data shows “just how powerful clear battery health information is in driving buyer confidence and speeding up sales.”
“In the electric era, customers want to know far more than just age and mileage – they want to understand how the battery is performing, what range they can expect in the real world and how much warranty remains.”
He added that transparent battery data helps buyers make confident decisions while letting dealers “sell vehicles faster and more profitably.”
Industry Adopting Health Checks
Battery health reporting has become a hot topic across the EV industry. Labour promised during the election to introduce an industry-standard system, though nothing’s materialized yet.
Many sellers aren’t waiting for government action.
Auction specialist BCA pioneered health checks for all EVs in its marketplace. Dealership chain Cambria now offers them across its Motorparks, Invicta and Grange divisions.
Polestar provides battery health reports with all used Polestar 2 vehicles sold through its retail network.
BCA’s earlier research showed similar results – health reports boosted interest in used EVs, improved selling prices and reduced time on the lot.
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association is promoting Used EV Week to spotlight the growing secondhand electric market and address lingering buyer concerns about battery longevity.
