Auto Trader Retail Price Index, September 2026: electric car values climb 2.8% while the wider used car market slips
Key points
- Used electric cars in Great Britain cost £25,091 on average in September 2026 — up 2.8% year-on-year, according to Auto Trader’s Retail Price Index.
- The wider used car market moved the other way: average advertised prices fell 1.0% year-on-year and 0.8% month-on-month, to £17,299.
- Demand for used EVs jumped 40% year-on-year in September, while supply on the platform rose 26.0%.
- Demand for used diesel and petrol cars fell sharply (diesel −19.2%, petrol −5.8%) as rising fuel costs push more buyers towards electric.
Used electric cars are getting more expensive in Great Britain even as the rest of the second-hand market cools. Auto Trader’s latest Retail Price Index puts the average used EV at £25,091 in September 2026 — 2.8% higher than a year earlier.
Across the wider used car market, the picture is the opposite: average advertised prices fell 1.0% year-on-year and 0.8% month-on-month, to £17,299. Diesel and petrol cars both got cheaper, while electric cars were the only fuel type to post a meaningful rise.
The figures come from Auto Trader, the UK’s largest online vehicle marketplace, which tracks asking prices advertised on its own platform rather than prices actually paid. Published on 9 October 2026, the data covers listings through September 2026.
An index built from millions of live listings
The Auto Trader Retail Price Index tracks the average advertised price of used cars listed on autotrader.co.uk and is published monthly by Auto Trader Group plc. It measures what sellers are asking, not what buyers actually pay once negotiation is factored in — the same caveat that applies to Germany’s comparable AutoScout24 index. The September 2026 edition was published on 9 October 2026 in a release covering the whole of Great Britain.
Prices by fuel type in September
Broken down by fuel type, the trend is clear: petrol and diesel cars both got cheaper year-on-year, while electric cars pulled further ahead on price.
| Fuel type | Average price, Sept 2026 | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|
| Whole market | £17,299 | −1.0 % |
| Electric | £25,091 | +2.8 % |
| Petrol | £14,625 | −1.0 % |
| Diesel | £13,924 | −0.8 % |
| Cars aged 10–15 years (all fuels) | £7,144 | +5.6 % |
Source: Auto Trader Retail Price Index, September 2026, published 9 October 2026. Advertised asking prices on autotrader.co.uk, not agreed sale prices.
Electric cars remain the most expensive used fuel type by some margin — nearly £7,800 above the wider market average and well above both petrol and diesel. The 2.8% rise also builds on earlier months of EV price growth that Auto Trader has tracked through 2026, even as the rest of the market has been easing.
„That variation also underlines why retailers should look at what’s happening in the live retail market.“
Marc Palmer, Head of Strategy and Insights, Auto Trader
Why demand for used EVs is surging
Demand for used electric cars on Auto Trader’s platform rose 40% year-on-year in September, while supply — the number of EVs advertised — grew 26.0%. That imbalance, with demand outpacing supply, helps explain why prices are still climbing even as values elsewhere in the market fall back.
Petrol and diesel told the opposite story. Diesel demand fell 19.2% year-on-year and diesel supply dropped 6.8%; petrol demand fell 5.8% and supply fell 5.7%. Used electric cars also sold faster than the market as a whole: Auto Trader recorded an average of 28 days to sell for both petrol and electric cars in September, against 29 days across the market overall.
Price snapshot: what the EV premium looks like
- Average used EV, September 2026: £25,091
- Average used car, all fuel types, September 2026: £17,299
Working: £25,091 minus £17,299 leaves a gap of £7,792 — the premium buyers currently pay, on average, for a used electric car over the wider second-hand market. The figure describes the market average, not any single vehicle: battery health, mileage, trim and model still decide an individual car’s price far more than the headline trend.
What buyers and sellers of used EVs can check now
For anyone weighing up a used electric car in the UK, the market averages are a starting point for negotiation, not a price to expect on any one vehicle.
Practical checklist
- Compare several live listings of the same model, age and mileage — Auto Trader’s index is built from advertised asking prices, not agreed sale prices.
- Have the battery’s State of Health (SoH) checked independently; on an EV it affects resale value far more than engine condition does on a petrol or diesel car.
- Budget for Vehicle Excise Duty (VED): electric cars registered since 1 April 2025 are no longer exempt — they pay a reduced first-year rate of £10, then the standard rate of £200 a year, with an added supplement for cars listed above £50,000 (GOV.UK guidance).
- With diesel and petrol demand falling while EV demand climbs, expect a well-priced used electric car to sell quickly — Auto Trader logged an average of 28 days to sell for EVs in September, against 29 days market-wide.
Do you think now is the right time to buy a used electric car, or would you rather wait for prices to settle? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a used electric car cost in the UK on average?
According to Auto Trader’s Retail Price Index, the average advertised price for a used electric car in September 2026 was £25,091 — 2.8% higher than a year earlier.
Are used car prices in the UK rising or falling overall?
The wider used car market got cheaper: average advertised prices fell 1.0% year-on-year and 0.8% month-on-month in September 2026, to £17,299. Electric cars were the exception, posting the only meaningful price rise among the main fuel types.
What is the Auto Trader Retail Price Index?
It is a monthly measure of the average advertised asking price for used cars listed on autotrader.co.uk, published by Auto Trader Group plc. It reflects what sellers are asking, not the prices buyers actually agree to pay.
Do electric cars still pay no road tax in the UK?
No. Since 1 April 2025, electric cars registered from that date onward pay Vehicle Excise Duty: a reduced first-year rate of £10, then the standard rate of £200 a year, with an additional “expensive car” supplement for models listed above £50,000, according to GOV.UK guidance.
Sources and status
- Auto Trader: Used EV demand surges 40% as rising fuel costs reshape used car market, Retail Price Index, published 9 October 2026
- Auto Trader: Retail Price Index overview
- GOV.UK: Vehicle tax for electric, zero and low emission vehicles
Research and data as of: 6 November 2026.
Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval. Country edition based on an article from Net Trends, researched for the UK.
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