Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive platform, has revealed a major milestone for the used car market, with electrified models accounting for every place in July’s top 10 fastest selling used cars.
The list marks the first time not a single petrol or diesel model has featured among the fastest sellers since Autotrader began tracking the rankings.
Electric models have dominated the fastest-selling rankings so far this month, with pure EVs accounting for eight of July’s top 10, double the number recorded in July 2025, and a pair of hybrids making up the numbers.
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The trend reflects strengthening demand in the used EV market, as improved affordability and wider stock availability bring more buyers into the segment. According to Manchester-based Autotrader’s latest 2026 Retail Price Index, used EV prices rose 1.6% year-on-year to £24,662, marking the first annual growth since December 20222. This return to growth points to a more stable used EV market, giving retailers greater confidence to price stock in line with live retail conditions.
The two petrol hybrids in the top 10, were the table-topping MG ZS (Petrol Hybrid, 1-3 years) taking the top spot, selling in just 13 days on average. The Toyota Yaris (Petrol Hybrid, 5-10 years), bookended the top 10, selling in 20 days. The strength of electrified stock is also reflected at the other end of the market, with no pure electric models featuring in July’s slowest-selling top 10, which is made up predominantly of petrol and diesel models, alongside one petrol hybrid.
The overall average speed of sale across all fuel types stands at 30 days, with the strongest performance coming from the 3-5-year-old cohort, which is emerging as a key opportunity for retailers. Across all fuel types, these cars are selling in 28 days on average, but 3-5-year-old EVs are turning over at just 20 days with used EV prices in this age cohort now at parity with their petrol counterparts.
That performance also sits within a wider supply dynamic that is continuing to reshape the used car market. Around 2.5m fewer new cars entered the UK market during pandemic-related production disruption, creating a structural shortfall in younger used stock. With supply of 5-7-year-old vehicles expected to fall by up to 35%, demand is being pushed into the 3-5-year-old bracket.
Marc Palmer, head of strategy and insights at Autotrader, said: “July’s data points to a used EV market that is continuing to move in the right direction. We’ve seen in the past how external shocks, including fuel price volatility linked to the conflict in the Middle East, can create short-term surges in electric interest, so it feels significant to see demand being sustained beyond that initial reaction.
“Buyers are recognising the affordability now available in the used EV market, while retailers have a clearer view of where demand is strongest and which stock is most likely to perform. When that balance is right, the right cars are turning quickly. For retailers, the key to success will be using data to stay agile, identify the right stock, and capitalise on one of the market’s strongest areas of demand.”
The top 10 in full, courtesy Autotrader:
