The trend has driven renewed interest in electric vehicles, and those looking to save money on gas are also trying to save money on their cars by buying pre-owned vehicles. <\/p>\n
New EV sales are still declining following blows to the industry from the Trump administration, but used EVs are bucking that trend because they look more affordable now relative to new cars and used gas-powered cars. <\/p>\n
Used EV sales increased more than 20% year over year in the first quarter of 2026, according to data from Cox Automotive. <\/p>\n
Used electric vehicles now cost around the same as used traditional cars and often offer better value, experts said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe high gas prices are getting people to look at what their options<\/a> are, and the wheels are starting to spin,\u201d said Jessica Caldwell, an auto analyst at Edmunds. \u201cYou can get a pretty nice used EV for under $25,000, which is not easy to do on the market at large,\u201d including electric and gas cars.<\/p>\n Electric vehicles depreciate in value faster than traditional cars, meaning buyers can get a good deal on a used EV that hasn\u2019t been on the road for long. <\/p>\n Used EVs are typically less than four years old and equipped with modern technology such as driver assistance, heated seats and Apple CarPlay. A wave of them is hitting the market as they come off lease from 2023, a year of heightened EV enthusiasm and new models. <\/p>\n While former President Biden was in office in 2023, the federal government heavily incentivized<\/a> the transition to electric vehicles.<\/p>\n A Tesla dealership with cars lined up in the lot in Long Beach.<\/p>\n (Eric Thayer\/Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not surprising that the used EV market is starting to accelerate, because it was about three or four years ago that the new one started accelerating,\u201d said Mark Schirmer, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. \u201cWe\u2019re starting to get a better variety, better choice and better price points.\u201d<\/p>\n Used EVs also tend to have lower mileage than their gas counterparts and therefore better value, Schirmer said, because EV drivers don\u2019t use them for long road trips to avoid having to stop and charge.<\/p>\n Used electric vehicle sales increased 25% in the first quarter this year, according to Cox. New electric vehicle sales were down 26%<\/a> in February from a year earlier.<\/p>\n The EV industry has faced setbacks recently as the Trump administration pares back<\/a> EV incentives and dealership requirements, including eliminating a California ban on new gas-powered car sales by 2035. <\/p>\n In response, major automakers such as Ford, Hyundai and Stellantis have cut their EV offerings.<\/p>\n EV sales crashed following the September expiration of a $7,500 tax credit for new EVs and a $4,000 credit for used ones.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no premium you have to pay for an EV in the used market,\u201d said iSeeCars.com analyst Karl Brauer. \u201cValue is huge for used buyers, and when gas prices are going up, that becomes a focus.\u201d<\/p>\n On social media<\/a>, car shoppers and recent EV buyers are sharing their reasons for making the switch to electric. <\/p>\n \u201cNot having to deal with the ups and downs of gas prices is one of the benefits of owning an EV,\u201d one Reddit user wrote last month. <\/p>\n Another Reddit user said it cost them $1.59 total to charge their Ford Mustang Mach-E for six hours, reaching a battery level of 90%. <\/p>\n In California, the appeal of a new or used EV is twofold \u2014 gas prices are especially high, and charging infrastructure is more developed than in many other states. Although electricity rates are increasing in the state, many residents are turning to solar power<\/a> to source their own energy for their cars and homes. <\/p>\n Data show that more people are shopping for EVs even if they haven\u2019t made purchases yet. <\/p>\n Cars.com saw a 25% increase in searches for used EVs from the end of February to the end of March, and a 23% increase in searches for new EVs. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see how else you can get a vehicle that\u2019s as new, as reliable, as safe and as affordable as used electric vehicle,\u201d auto analyst Brian Moody said. \u201cAdd to that the current gas prices, and it\u2019s a no-brainer.\u201d <\/p>\n Tesla\u2019s were the most commonly searched for vehicle among used EVs on the site, according to Cars.com data. <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776430572_936_.jpeg\")
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