Electric cars remain the quickest stock to shift on Britain’s forecourts, with the average used EV finding a buyer in just 25 days, according to fresh August figures from Autotrader.

That keeps electric at the top of the fuel-type table and continues a trend that has seen used EVs selling faster than petrol models for some time, with pure electric models from MG, Tesla and Polestar dominating a top 10 in which six of this month’s fastest sellers are EVs.

The real sweet spot is the three to five-year-old electric car. Vehicles in this bracket are currently changing hands within 20 days on average, making it the fastest-turning segment of the entire market and a full 10 days quicker than the wider market average of 30 days.

Top of the overall chart is the petrol hybrid MG ZS, with one to three-year-old examples leaving forecourts in an average of just 13.5 days.

Hot on its heels are two pure electric models, the Polestar 2 and the MG4, each selling in 17 days.

Between them, MG, Tesla and Polestar account for seven of August’s ten fastest-selling used cars, with MG and Tesla appearing three times apiece. Six of the top 10 sit in that in-demand three to five-year-old age bracket.

Values heading the right way

The pace of sales is now feeding through to prices. In July, the average three to five-year-old electric car cost £20,037, compared with £18,731 for a petrol equivalent.

And according to Autotrader’s latest Retail Price Index, like-for-like values for three to five-year-old electric cars rose 10.2% year-on-year in July. That marks quite a turnaround for a market which, not long ago, saw used electric car prices fall as supply surged.

It also tallies with the bigger picture. Industry body the SMMT reported that used battery electric car transactions surged 45.7% to record levels in 2025, as nearly 7.8 million secondhand cars of all types found new homes.

Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: “August’s fastest-selling data highlights the continued strength of the retail used car market.

“Demand remains robust, with vehicles continuing to sell quickly and the best-performing stock moving well ahead of the market average.

“Electric remains the fastest-selling fuel type, whilst the strongest demand is concentrated among 3-to-5-year-old EVs, where greater affordability is helping drive some of the fastest sales in the market.

“For retailers, that’s a reminder that opportunity often sits in the detail.

“Demand isn’t moving uniformly across every fuel type, age profile or model, and the vehicles performing best aren’t always the ones broader market trends might lead you to expect.

“Staying close to live retail demand and using data to inform sourcing, pricing and merchandising decisions remains critical to identifying where the strongest opportunities lie.”

For buyers weighing up a move to a secondhand EV, the message is simple: the best-priced three to five-year-old electric cars are not hanging around. Our guide to buying a used electric car covers what to check before you commit.