Electric cars after leasing: Batteries still well-preserved
Image: Polestar
Used electric cars are becoming more attractive. A key reason for this is that the batteries are often in much better condition after their first leasing cycle than generally assumed. This is shown by an analysis conducted by the car leasing and fleet management company Ayvens.
Since 2025, Ayvens has tested nearly 7,300 electric cars returned from leasing before selling them to private individuals and used car dealers. The result: the average State of Health (SoH) is 95.5 percent, with an average mileage of around 55,000 kilometers.
"The concern that an electric car’s battery loses significant performance after a few years is not confirmed by our analyses; instead, we observe very good battery levels in the vehicles returned under leasing agreements. This is a strong argument in favor of used electric cars and shows that batteries still have plenty of potential even after their first leasing cycle," says Martin Kössler, CEO of Ayvens in Germany.
Every used electric car available for sale from Ayvens comes with a SoH certificate issued by the Austrian specialist Aviloo. This certificate provides information on the battery’s health status and indicates its remaining capacity as a percentage of its original condition. As one of the key components that determine a vehicle’s value, the battery plays an important role in its resale value.
"The SoH certificate provides transparency about the vehicle’s actual condition, offering additional security to used car buyers," says Ayvens. Other developments have also made used electric cars more attractive. Public charging infrastructure continues to expand, and maintenance costs are lower compared to vehicles with internal combustion engines. Additionally, there is the incentive from the THG quota, which owners of used pure electric vehicles can also benefit from.
Electric Car Makes It Into the Top Tier for the First Time
The current analysis shows that electric vehicles are increasingly in demand even in the used car market. In 2026, the Polestar 2 becomes the first pure electric vehicle to rank among the three best-selling used models according to Ayvens, finishing in third place with a nine percent share. Another electric car, the Hyundai Kona EV, makes it to ninth place.
At the top among Ayvens’ rankings are two Ford models: the Ford Kuga Plug-in Hybrid leads with 23 percent, followed by the gasoline-powered Ford Focus at 16 percent.
Ayvens’ top 10 used cars for 2026:
Ford Kuga Plug-in Hybrid (23 %)
Ford Focus (16 %)
Polestar 2 (9 %)
Kia Ceed (9 %)
Kia XCeed Plug-in Hybrid (8 %)
Mercedes-Benz C-Class (7 %)
Kia Sportage (7 %)
Ford Transit Custom (7 %)
Hyundai Kona EV (6 %)
Volkswagen Passat (6 %)
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About the author
Thomas Langenbucher is an expert in electromobility with experience in the automotive and finance industries. Since 2011, he has been covering electric vehicles, sustainable technologies, and mobility solutions for ecomento.de. Learn more.
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