Used EVs Are Selling Fast Now. The Resale Myth Is Fading.

For years, you'd hear the same thing at every barbecue: "Don't buy an EV. Nobody wants a used one, and the battery kills the resale value."

In 2026, the numbers say otherwise. Used EVs in the US are now selling about as fast as comparable gas cars, and the most popular models are gone in around two weeks. If you've been waiting to buy or sell, here's what's going on.

It started Down Under

Australian EV commentator The Electric Viking covered this in a recent video, using numbers from Pickles, one of Australia's biggest vehicle auction houses:

• Used EV sales at Pickles were up 54.6%

• Q2 2026 sales were about 87% higher than the same quarter in 2025

• The average time to sell a used EV fell from more than 60 days in January to under 40 days by June

Prices did soften as more cars came onto the market, but they kept selling faster anyway. Lower prices plus more confident buyers means cars move quicker.

So is the same thing happening in the US? Yes, and maybe even more so.

The US numbers

According to Cox Automotive's August 2026 EV Market Monitor:

• 44,350 used EVs were sold in August. That's up 25.9% from July and up 14.7% from a year earlier.

• The overall used-car market was down about 3% year over year in that period. So used EVs grew while the rest of the market shrank.

• Used EV days' supply fell to 42 days and reached parity with gas cars for the first time this year.

• The average listing price was $37,441, up 8.2% year over year.

That last number matters. Used EV prices aren't crashing. They're rising.

Recurrent's Q4 2026 Used EV Market Report shows how fast popular models are moving:

Median days to sell and price, June–September 2026. Source: Recurrent.

A used Bolt sells in under two weeks, and electric pickups sell in just over two. Those aren't the numbers of a market nobody wants.

Why it changed

1. Gas got expensive again

The national average was $4.46 a gallon in late September, more than a dollar higher than a year earlier (per Recurrent). When a fill-up costs $70 or more, a car you charge in the garage overnight starts to look pretty good. Buyers aren't waiting for gas prices to come back down. They're switching.

2. The early price crash brought in new buyers

The steep EV depreciation of 2023–2024 hurt early owners. It also pulled used EV prices into range for ordinary families. Today, more than half of used EV listings are priced under $30,000 (Recurrent, September 2026). When a used EV costs about the same as a used Camry, a lot more people take a look.

3. Used EVs held up after the tax credit ended

The $4,000 federal used-EV tax credit ended on September 30, 2025. Many people expected demand to fall off. Instead, used EV sales have kept climbing without it, so this demand is coming from buyers, not from a tax incentive.

4. Batteries have held up

The biggest fear was battery replacement. A few years of real-world data have mostly settled that. Most EV batteries are aging slowly, and buyers can now get a battery health report before they buy. Many buyers now show up knowing more about the battery, range, and charging speed than the salesperson does.

5. More good cars are coming off lease

EVs leased in 2023 are now coming back as used cars. That puts lots of late-model, low-mileage EVs on the market. 2023 and 2024 models now make up more than half of all used EV listings. Buyers have more choice, and more choice brings in more buyers.

What this means for you

If you're selling: Now is a good time. Demand is high, prices are up from last year, and well-priced cars are selling in weeks, not months. A few tips:

• Price it right. Overpriced EVs still sit. Fairly priced ones sell fast.

• Show the battery health. A battery report is one of the best ways to build buyer trust.

• Include what EV buyers ask about: range, charging speed, charger type, software version, and whether a home charger cable comes with the car.

• Skip the trade-in lowball. Some dealers still don't know how to price EVs, and their offers show it. Selling directly to another owner usually gets you more.

If you're buying: Don't wait too long. The good deals are getting picked up quickly. Get your financing sorted, know what battery health you'll accept, and be ready to move when the right car shows up.

The bottom line

The idea that "EVs have no resale value" made sense in 2023. By late 2026, it's out of date. Used EVs are selling as fast as gas cars, the most popular models move in about two weeks, and prices are higher than a year ago.

Watch for one thing: Recurrent notes that year-over-year numbers will be distorted by last year's tax-credit rush. September 2026 will look flat, and October will look like a big jump. The overall trend is still up.

Selling your EV? List it on Frunkery. Frunkery is a marketplace built just for EVs, where owners sell directly to buyers who already know what they're looking for. No middleman and no lowball trade-in.

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Sources: Cox Automotive EV Market Monitor, August 2026 · Recurrent Used EV Market Report, Q4 2026 · The Electric Viking, "Used EVs Are Now Selling Twice As Fast" (Pickles auction data, Australia)