The market for used EVs, vital to spread electrification across road users, is growing, with two thirds (73 per cent) of drivers saying they would consider buying a used EV, but battery health, range, reliability, charging infrastructure and purchase price all remain barriers.

The findings come from a Green Finance Institute (GFI) survey that demonstrates a strong demand for EVs amongst consumers and suggest that finance is not a barrier to EV adoption.

Reliable information on battery state of health is a key mechanism in overcoming the main concern: 27 per cent of drivers said a reliable measure of the state of health of a battery would make a used EV more attractive and in another part of the survey, drivers listed a battery health certificate as the most impactful solution to overcome this barrier.

Alongside battery health, an extended battery warranty was listed as one the top three factors that would encourage drivers to switch to an EV, highlighting the potential role of the insurance industry in encouraging EV uptake.

In terms of reliability there is an erroneous perception, whereas 34 per cent of UK drivers who don’t own an EV cite reliability concerns as a reason why they wouldn’t switch, according to research, EVs tend to be more reliable and break down less often because there are fewer moving parts.

While concerns over access to charging infrastructure are not unique to used EVs, this remains a key barrier to EV uptake as a whole. Over a third of drivers (34 per cent) still see access to charging infrastructure in areas where they live and drive as a barrier, calling for more charging infrastructure before they make the switch. Linked to this, the cost of running an EV is particularly noticeable for drivers who do not have access to private charging. The current rate of VAT on public charging (20 per cent) is four times that of home charging (5 per cent). Reducing the rate of VAT on public charging to match that of home charging will drive costs down for those reliant on the public charging network, helping to ensure that all drivers can make the switch to an EV.

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