Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA) is accelerating the roll out of EV battery health checks at its auctions.
The group has now carried out 1,000 EV battery health checks with partner Generational.
It said the data showed “the vast majority” of used EVs on the market were in strong health.
For vehicles under four years old, from a sample of 656 used cars, the average SoH was 98.7%, with 96.3% of this group above 90% health and an average cell voltage spread* of 11mV – reflecting the fact that these are well-looked after.
Vehicles aged four to six years, across a sample of 279 cars, averaged 92.6% SoH, with 83.5% above 90% SoH and an average cell voltage spread of 13mV, against an average mileage of 36,264.
A sample of 73 vehicles aged six years and over averaged 88.8% SoH, with 34.3% still above 90% SoH and an excellent cell voltage spread of 15mV, against an average mileage of 45,721. This is a natural pattern of gradual degradation as vehicles age and accumulate mileage, though still comfortably within a usable range for buyers.
Across all vehicles tested, the median SoH was 95.6%, with 88% returning a SoH above 90%. Only 0.4% fell below 80% – all older Nissan LEAF and NV200 Combi models.
Cell-level analysis, which measures the voltage balance across each battery pack, showed a median spread of 12mV. This indicates well-balanced packs overall, with 97.8% recording a spread of 50mV or less, demonstrating that the cells are functioning correctly and ageing evenly across the pack.
Testing interrogates each vehicle’s battery cells directly, and every vehicle carries a certificate that buyers are able to view before bidding. Generational carries out assessments to CARA (Car Remarketing Association Europe) accredited battery diagnostic standards, as there isn’t a single UK-specific recognised standard in place currently.
“The used EV market is evolving quickly, and our role is to give buyers and vendors the confidence they need to trade these vehicles with certainty,” said Alex Wright, SVA’s managing director.
“By bringing structured battery health data into the auction process, we’re helping the industry understand what ‘good’ looks like and making EVs easier to buy and sell. Passing the 1,000-test mark gives us a robust dataset, which confirms that the vast majority of used EVs coming through auction are in good health.”
Oliver Phillpott, Generational’s CEO and co-founder, added: “We’re here to help eliminate uncertainty and enable people to buy and sell used EVs with transparency.
“That protects residual values for vendors and helps buyers reassure consumers. The checks build trust with wholesale and consumer buyers, which is a fundamental requirement as EVs become an integral part of the used vehicle ecosystem.”
*Cell-level analysis: An EV battery is made up of many individual cells wired together, and ideally these should all sit at a similar voltage as they charge and discharge.
The “cell voltage spread” is the gap between the highest and lowest-voltage cell in a pack. A small spread means the cells are ageing evenly, while a wider spread can be a sign that one or more cells are degrading faster than the rest and dragging down the pack’s overall performance.
