Second-Hand EVs Retain Their Value Better Than Industry Claims — New Study
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Transport & Environment (T&E) released a study showing second‑hand electric vehicles lose value far less than industry estimates suggest. In the EU’s four biggest markets—Germany, France, Italy and Spain—official data indicated a 12.9‑percentage‑point depreciation gap between combustion cars and EVs for 2025. T&E identified five omitted variables—subsidies, acquisition taxes, inflation adjustments, fleet composition and falling new‑EV prices—and recalculated the gap to just 2.6 points, an 80 % reduction. The analysis also notes that EV depreciation volatility matched that of fossil‑fuel cars and that used‑EV sales rose sharply in Germany and Ireland in 2026. T&E urges leasing firms to offer longer terms, carmakers to standardise battery‑health certificates, and EU legislators to back the forthcoming Corporate Clean Vehicles Regulation to cement market predictability.
💡 Why It Matters
- · Accurate depreciation data removes a key financial barrier, making EV leases as attractive as traditional cars and accelerating fleet electrification.