DATE: Fuel prices driving up residual values of used electric cars
Image: VW (illustrative)
Experts say high fuel prices are driving up the value of used electric vehicles. According to market analyst Deutsche Automobil Treuhand (DAT), the residual value of three-year-old electric cars increased by 1.4 percentage points between May and August. In contrast, gasoline vehicles saw a 0.4 percentage point decline in residual value, while diesel vehicles experienced a 1.1 percentage point drop.
"Fuel prices are likely the main factor influencing decisions toward electric mobility," stated DAT. This has increased demand for both used and new electric cars, while the supply of used electric vehicles remained low at times.
Although the percentage residual values for electric cars remain at around 52 percent of the listed price, still below those of diesel vehicles (58%) and gasoline cars (59%), the gap compared to the previous year has significantly narrowed. In November 2025, the values for three-year-old fully electric cars were still around 48 percent, while gasoline cars had a residual value of nearly 63 percent and diesel cars around 61 percent.
The time taken to sell vehicles has also changed: the holding period for electric cars dropped to 74 days, while diesel engines had the longest holding period at 92 days, followed by gasoline cars at 84 days.
According to DAT, the impact of rising fuel prices did not become apparent until after May, which could be attributed to the typical lead time in car purchases and ongoing price trends.
The share of electric cars in the used car market is growing steadily. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, vehicle transfers of electric cars accounted for 5.3 percent of all transactions in August, up from 3.9 percent the previous year.
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Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with professional experience in the automotive and financial industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric cars, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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