According to a popular used car sales platform in the UK, second-hand electric vehicles are selling 26% faster than petrol and diesel cars. Cinch says there was a 311% increase in EV sales on its website and app between July and September 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Used electric vehicles are selling like proverbial hotcakes and while it isn’t great news for those owners footing the often hefty depreciation bill, it is a boon for anyone looking to reduce monthly spend on fuel and cut their local carbon emissions.
Thanks, in part, to the tumbling price of battery technology, there are now brand new electric models on the market that cost around the same as their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. Couple this with increased used car stock and consumers are faced with a narrowing price gap between EVs and ICE cars.
The situation will only become more favorable for used EV buyers in the UK and Europe in the near future, as more used stock floods the market due to lease plans and various financial arrangements on nearly-new EVs coming to an end.
In the US, the market has been a little slower to adopt electrification, but a recent report suggests that there will be a 230% spike in returning lease car volumes in 2026, while Kelly Blue Book admits that EVs currently represent some of the biggest bargains on the used market.
If you’re thinking about making the switch, now is a great time to pick up a deal. By using online tools, such as Auto Trader, Cinch and eBay in the UK and Edmunds in the US, I’ve highlighted some of the best EVs I have driven that now represent some of the cheapest ways to make the switch to electric motoring.
1. Tesla Model 3
Despite the rapid increase in rivals, Tesla is still the undisputed champ of electric vehicles, offering a range of affordable models that grant access to its fantastic Supercharger network of fast and reliable charging stalls. The Model 3 is essentially a big, comfortable computer on wheels, with the ability to update and improve over time, while even standard range models deliver around 220-miles on a single charge.
Due to its global sales success and nearing 20 years in the EV game, the used car forecourts are awash with second-hand Tesla bargains, with prices for high-mileage Model 3 examples dipping to around $21,500 in the US.
In the UK, I found an example with around 100,000 miles on the clock for just shy of £13,000. Plus, with EV batteries reportedly lasting 40% longer than most anticipated, it will still have plenty of range left in it.
2. Jaguar I-Pace
Jaguar may have ‘broken the internet’ with the unveiling of its upcoming all-electric sedan, but many folk seem to have forgotten the brand was actually a very early EV pioneer, with the glorious I-Pace crossover hitting the market when very few premium rivals existed.
Designed by the man who penned various Aston Martins, the sleek lines of the I-Pace still look good today and the electric range of around 230 miles can compete with new cars entering the market.
Immaculate one-owner examples can be picked up in the US for as less than $20,000, while in the UK, that figure dips to around £13,500, making it cheaper than most used petrol-engined Vauxhall Corsas.
However, some existing customers have reported battery issues, with earlier LG Chem-derived cells not charging to their maximum capacity. Seeing as Jaguar has stopped selling the I-Pace and completely changed its branding and target audience, don’t expect the after-sales service to be very good, either.
3. Polestar 2
The Swedish sister brand to Volvo was a one-model, electric-only brand up until fairly recently, when it bolstered its line-up by launching both the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 to a hungry audience. Having gone on sale in 2020, the Polestar 2 is comparatively long-in-the-tooth and there are plenty of used models to choose from.
It represents fantastic money on the used market as Long Range Single Motor models not only look great, they offer blistering performance and a range in excess of 270 miles. The cheapest used models I could find in the US were priced at around $20,000, which is cheaper than a new and decidedly bland Kia Forte.
In the UK, plenty have recently come to the end of lease plans, so you can have a great one-owner example for around £17,000. If it was between the comfort, performance and technological generosity of the Polestar and a brand new Dacia Spring, I know where I’d put my money.
4. Porsche Taycan
The Taycan proved that electrification didn’t necessarily mean dull or boring, packing pure Porsche aesthetics and scintillating performance when it first launched at the turn of the decade.
It has since spawned numerous iterations, including the pre-production Turbo GT model that, up until recently, held an EV record around Germany’s Nurburgring… well, before smartphone-manufacturer Xiaomi rather embarrassingly stole the title with its SU7 Ultra.
However, one of the biggest downfalls of Taycan ownership is the absolutely disastrous depreciation, which saw some models lose more than half of their value in the first few weeks of ownership. Unfortunately, the Taycan has also come to represent the absolute embodiment of everything that is wrong with the premium EV market.
But one man’s loss is another man’s gain, right? Staggeringly, just over £30,000 buys a high mileage used model in the UK, or around $43,000 in the US. This is especially tempting considering these cars cost around £100,000/$100,000 new (without any options boxes ticked).
Sure, the servicing is going to be expensive, the annual bill for tires is extortionate and the risk of something major potential going wrong is high, but you’ll be the coolest cat at the charging stall.
5. Kia e-Niro
Since the launch of the e-Niro, Kia has completely revised its electric vehicle line-up, with fresh styling, the latest tech and a greatly simplified naming convention covering EV3, EV5, EV6 and EV9, with the gaps expected to be filled in the coming years.
But the plucky e-Niro is still worthy of a place on your used car shopping list, purely because the 64kWh battery pack can still hold its own against more modern competition and its range is up there with some of the best EVs in terms of bang-for-your-buck.
If you are prepared to take on a car with 80,000 miles on the clock, you can pick up a nice example in the UK for around £12,500. The model was sold in the US with a Kia Niro EV badge and low mileage models can be picked up for around $16,000.
Certainly not as handsome or technologically advanced as Kia’s latest EV range, the e-Niro still manages around 220 miles on a single charge, which will be enough for many.
6. Mini Electric
Navigating the world of electric Minis can be a tricky one, as the bargain models that will be thrown up on any used vehicle search will likely feature the much smaller 32.6kWh battery pack found in the marque’s original stab at a small, fun EV.
Those cars can be had for less than £10,000 in the UK, which is ridiculously cheap, but you’ll have to put up with a mere 145 miles of range… if you’re really lucky. The current generation boasts a much more generous 54.2kWh battery, vastly improved interiors and technology, but they are understandably more expensive.
First generation electric Mini Hardtops are a little more difficult to find in the US, as they just didn’t sell in the sort of numbers that they did in Europe. Hunt around and you’ll be able to pick one up for around $15,000 with around 50,000 miles on the clock.
7. Chevrolet Bolt
If readers in North America are on an especially tight budget, the humble Chevrolet Bolt EV represents excellent value for money. Used prices for 2017/2018 models range from around $9,000-$10,000 for models with around 40,000 miles on the clock.
The estimated electric range on these diminutive city cars is around 240 miles, although that did increase with a battery upgrade in 2020 model year vehicles and later. However, charging speeds are particularly slow, limited to Level 3 chargers and below, so this is no road trip partner, unless you actively enjoy lengthy coffee breaks.
Earlier models, which you will find at bargain basement prices, sport a particularly cheap feeling interior, which was improved upon with numerous model upgrades. But above all else, the Bolt EV is nippy, fun to drive and great value for money.
Those in the UK feeling pangs of jealousy should look towards the Fiat 500e, which is equally compact, boasts bags of style and proves fun to drive on shorter journeys… although its small battery packs and limited range let it down.
8. Volkswagen ID.3
If you can look past the fugly exterior and the decidedly bland cabin, bargains can be had if you search for used ID.4 models in North America. Unfortunately, the ID.3 didn’t make it across The Pond, as it is arguably the better car – hence this recommendation.
The compact hatchback sports a 58kWh battery in the earlier – and therefore cheaper – used models, which is good for around 215 miles of emissions-free motoring. The efficiency of the ID.3 was a particular standout when I drove it, meaning the range read-out is reliable and accurate.
Pro models come with all of the mod cons you could possibly want, including a large touchscreen display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. If you can put up with relatively high mileage (around 80,000), then around £12,000 buys a very good example, putting it on par with a similarly-equipped ICE Golf.
9. BMW i4
The i4 is a great example of BMW injecting some of its iconic driving dynamics and revered build quality into a modern EV, as this is among the few electric vehicles that can hold its head up high against ICE competitors as a true ‘driver’s’ car.
Great looks, an impressive interior and pretty much every conceivable piece of infotainment and in-car technology you could possibly want comes part and parcel of all model derivatives, while the i4 eDrive40, which is one of the most common on the used market with the longest EV range, can nail the 0-62mph sprint in 5.7 seconds.
There is a cheaper model with a smaller 70.2kWh battery pack, but it seems most customers plumped for the larger 83.9kWh battery pack of the more popular eDrive40 and range-topping M50 when they signed their lease deals a few years back, as the used car websites are positively awash with great examples.
Under £30,000 buys a low mileage model in the UK, with even the more performance-orientated M50 within reach for that kind of money. The i4 has also proven popular in the US, where second hand examples can be snatched up for as little as $26,000.
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