Confidence in electric vehicles (EVs) is turning the corner among car buyers in the most important, and largest, market of all – the second hand market. 

That’s according to the online car supermarket BuyaCar.co.uk, which has seen a 67% increase in used EV sales during 2020. 

Analysis of EV sales also shows that 2020 model year cars are most popular – bucking the trend for other fuel types, where older cars are more popular, with more cars registered in 2017 sold than from any other year. 

It suggests that recent advances in addressing range anxiety – that’s the distance electric cars can travel per charge – are paying off and opening the door to EVs becoming a mainstream used car option. 

For example, in just five years the reliable range of a Renault Zoe has increased from 130 miles between charges to 245 miles. 

The market received a major boost last month when the UK government announced a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel models from 2030 – reinforcing that in less than a decade all new car buyers will have to go electric, with used car buyers having to follow suit in time.

Richard Ingram, editor of the specialist EV website DrivingElectric.co.uk, said: “Interest in electric vehicles is growing month-on-month as people look to reduce their bills and lessen their carbon footprint. But EVs and hybrids needn’t be the preserve of new car buyers; there are some incredibly talented models on the used market, too.”