The average price of a used car stood at £17,194 in June, representing a 0.8% increase on a year-on-year (YoY) and like-for-like basis — marking the strongest rate of price growth since August 2023, according to Autotrader’s AI-powered Retail Price Index.
Used car transactions rose around 1% YoY, year-to-date volumes remained broadly level, and the average used car took 30 days to sell — unchanged month-on-month (MoM) and YoY.
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: “June’s data points to a used car market that remains highly resilient, with serious buyers continuing to transact despite the summer heatwave and World Cup fever competing for attention. For retailers, that commitment is supporting stable transactions, resilient pricing and a consistent speed of sale.
“The standout story this month, though, is clearly electric. After a prolonged period of price adjustment, used EVs have moved from stabilisation into genuine growth. For retailers, the opportunity isn’t just about having EV stock available, but having the right EV stock, priced accurately and marketed with confidence.
“More broadly, this is exactly the kind of market where pricing discipline matters. With demand, supply and values moving differently across segments, the best outcomes will come from pricing that reflects live retail market conditions, rather than simply working up from cost.”
Used EV like-for-like prices increased 1.6% YoY to £24,662 last month, signalling the first positive annual growth since December 2022.
This builds on May’s stabilisation (0.0%), which ended a 40-month period of YoY decline, and was reinforced by a 1.4% MoM rise in used EV prices in June, even as the wider used car market softened 0.4% in line with seasonal trends.
Used EVs sold in an average of 25 days in June — five days faster than the overall market and a week quicker than the 32 days recorded during the same period last year.
Momentum is concentrated in the 3–5-year-old EV cohort, where prices rose 8.9% YoY to £19,295, with stock leaving forecourts in just 21 days.
