Second-hand electric car sales soar in March as fuel prices rise

Demand for second hand electric cars soared in March, with sales up 48% on February, car sector association Bovag said on Wednesday.

The “spectacular” increase is down to both the impact of higher fuel prices following the war in the Middle East and the huge surplus of second hand cars, a spokesman told the Financieele Dagblad.

“Petrol is expensive and there are more affordable second hand electric cars on the market,” the spokesman said. “So driving an electric car is becoming a realistic option for a bigger group.”

The number of “searches” for second hand cars on the Bovag website was up 75% on the previous month.

The total market for second hand cars fell 2.1% in the first quarter of the year, compared with the same period in 2025 while the sale of new cars was down almost 11%.