Worried about buying a used EV? Here’s why you don’t need to stress

Love them or hate them, electric cars are truly here to stay. Battery-powered vehicles are rising sharply in both the new and used car markets, with a flock of buyers committing to the fully electric transition following the petrol crisis caused by the Middle Eastern conflict earlier this year.

On a national scale, the latest data from the Australian Automotive Dealers Association (AADA) – the peak dealership body – revealed that in the first half of 2026, used EV sales increased by 54.6 per cent year on year.

RELATED: ‘Why I’m scared to own an electric car’

Based on AADA data, EVs were also quicker to sell, with the average days to sell falling from 60 in January to less than 40 in June 2026, highlighting consumer demand.

More recently, the latest quarterly automotive report by Australian auction house Pickles – which referenced data from Datium Insights – revealed that EV sales are up 152 per cent year-on-year.

The auction house sold 401 second-hand EVs between January and March 2026, with Pickles accruing a further 384 used EV sales between April and May this year.

According to the Australia Electric Vehicle Association’s (AEVA) convener of policy and advocacy Chris Jones, the used car sales data reflects greater consumer understanding.

“Consumers are benefiting from a decade of exposure to electric vehicles and have observed their reliable performance and functionality,” Jones told Drive.

Driving range loss due to inevitable battery degradation from accruing mileage is often a major concern for potential consumers.

But according to the Pickles report, this sentiment is dwindling, with the average mileage of used EVs sold increasing from 29,000km in January 2026 to approximately 51,000km by May and June this year.

Further alleviating this concern is the fact that some experts said the process doesn’t occur as rapidly as some consumers might believe.

“They probably know someone who’s got one (and loves it) and are satisfied that battery degradation is simply not the problem they thought it was.

“With the exception of a handful of models from the early 2010s showing unacceptable battery decline, almost all electric vehicle batteries will outlive the cars they’re installed in,” Jones said.

According to Test EV – an Australian-based battery certifier and distributor of Austrian tech company AVILOO – director Nathan Gore-Brown, a battery’s state of health (SoH) can vary greatly.

“During testing, we see a significant spread of results in models and across the board, it’s common to see well over 10 per cent SoH differences across the same product at a similar age and kilometres. This brings different resale value and saleability of each car,” he told Drive.

The battery certifier has analysed a range of batteries among used EVs with varying mileage.

“To offer a general summary, our records show the following [SoH] for fully electric vehicles (using a +/- 5k window).

“80k km: 93.8 per cent; 100k km: 90.5 per cent; 150k km: 87.6 per cent. We also have testing on cars with over 400,000km, delivering results in the low 80 per cent, which showcases the durability of modern battery technologies,” Gore-Brown said.

Still, an EV’s battery will inevitably deteriorate due to the wear and tear it sustains from prolonged use.

According to the Test EV director, most EVs sold in Australia come with an OEM battery warranty replacement if a car reaches 70 per cent SoH.

“AVILOO warns the customer at 70 per cent that the battery needs attention. At 60 per cent or below, we consider the battery a safety risk.

“There are several that can be noticed if you are observant, and faults can manifest in rapid range loss, higher energy consumption and odd charging behaviour.

“However, even the most significant faults related to battery health and optimal performance do not warn the customer on the dash; they are hidden. We have seen so many examples of this in our 18 months of specialising in EV battery health in the local market,” he said.