Unlike traditional internal combustion engine vehicles, electric cars are being criticized for depreciating too quickly after only a short period of use.
According to data from Cap HPI - a UK-based price and trading company, the value of a series of electric car (EV) models in the European market has seriously decreased in just under 1 year (from October 2022 to present). Among them, some models have decreased by more than 50%.
According to the survey results, the electric car model with the "biggest" discount rate is the Seat Mii. From October 2022 to now, this small car model has decreased by 50.3% of its value, that is, more than half. Next are the Renault Zoe and Nissan Leaf with resale discounts of 44.2% and 42.7%, respectively.
In terms of value, the most expensive electric cars from Audi and Mercedes-Benz have seen the biggest drops. With the Audi e-tron GT, owners will lose £27,629 (835 million) after 11 months of use, while with the Audi e-tron Sportback version it is £18,929 (572 million). This amount for the Mercedes-Benz EQC is £20,275 (613 million).
According to Cap HPI's assessment, there are many reasons why used electric cars are currently "depreciating" so quickly after only a short period of use.
The first comes from the general psychology when Europeans are quite concerned about the operating range of electric cars. The rapid development makes charging the car's battery difficult and takes longer to wait.
The next reason is the impact of energy prices, specifically the high electricity prices in many countries, making the cost of using electric cars no longer as affordable as before. Therefore, electric cars are no longer a priority when buying a used car.
In addition, the selling price of new cars always has a significant impact on the price of used cars. Many car companies continuously reduce prices and promotions, making the price of new electric cars lower than the same period last year.
Here are the models with the fastest depreciation rates according to Cap HPI:
1. Seat Mii: 50.3% off
2. Renault Zoe: 44.2% off
3. Nissan Leaf: 42.7% off
4. Volkswagen e-Up: 42.5% off
5. Hyundai Ioniq electric: 40.8% off
6. BMW i3: 39.9% off
7. Mazda MX-30: 39.0% off
8. Vauxhall Corsa electric: 37.7% off
9. Hyundai Kona electric: 37.6% off
10. Peugeot e-208: 37.1% off