The automotive company cinch, a seller of used electric vehicles in the UK, has released new data highlighting the growing adoption of EVs by UK drivers.
The data reveals a 311 percent increase in used EV sales over the past twelve-months, signalling a shift in consumer car choice. EVs are selling at a rate 26 percent faster than petrol and diesel cars.
Sam Sheehan, Motoring Editor at cinch, has provided a statement to Digital Journal: “While new EVs still command a small premium versus similar petrol and diesel models due to their construction costs, this gap is narrowing all the time on the used car market. And, if you look at the overall cost of ownership of an EV versus a traditionally-fuelled car, it makes a lot of sense to choose electric these days. Our data highlights that EV owners who charge their car at home can save £1,040 per year on running costs compared to petrol cars.”

The sales pattern indicates that EVs most in demand include Tesla’s Model 3, Renault’s nimble Zoe and the ever-popular Nissan Leaf.
The top 10 best-selling used EVs in the UK are:
- Tesla Model 3
- Renault Zoe
- Nissan Leaf
- Hyundai Kona
- Vauxhall Corsa-e
- Kia e-Niro
- Peugeot e208
- Peugeot e2008
- Jaguar I-Pace
- MINI Hatchback
Sheehan adds: “Despite some exciting new entrants to the EV market, Tesla’s Model 3 continues to deliver for many drivers – and they’ve never been more affordable. We expect stiff competition from several manufacturers in the coming year – particularly from the Chinese market – but Tesla still has a loyal army of fans in the UK.”
The barrier to entry appears to be lowering as the used EV market matures. Between July and September 2022, used electric cars sold for an average price of £25,078. Meanwhile, petrol and diesel cars sold for an average of £14,419 – a difference of just over £10,000.

In 2024, the difference between the price of an EV and a petrol/diesel car had narrowed further, with EVs costing just over £1,000 more than ICE cars on average (EVs: £16,075 and ICE: £14,794).
One consideration of whether to buy an electric car is how and where to charge it while out and about. As of October 2024 there were 71,459 public charge points in the UK. This compares with 36,637 in October 2022 – an increase of 95 percent in two years.
