USED ELECTRIC CAR prices are now rising faster than petrol, diesel and hybrid cars for the first time since early 2023.

Prices for second-hand EVs increased by 2% in the year to the first half of 2026, according to the latest DoneDeal Cars Price Index.

That compares with a 1.5% increase for hybrids and 1.1% for the wider petrol and diesel market.

The increase marks a turnaround for second-hand electric cars following three years of falling prices.

Despite the recent rise, used EVs remain considerably cheaper than comparable diesel and hybrid cars.

When age, mileage and make are taken into account, a used electric car costs 10.7% less than an equivalent diesel and 13.3% less than a hybrid.

The longer-term figures also show how differently EV prices have performed since the pandemic.

Used electric car prices are just 7.1% higher than in January 2020, compared with increases of 42.4% for hybrids and 92% for petrol and diesel cars.

Meanwhile, the report found that Brexit has transformed where Ireland gets its imported used cars.

Japan supplied 33,065 cars in the first half of 2026, accounting for 55% of all used imports.

The UK’s share has fallen to just 14%, having accounted for 95% of used car imports as recently as 2019.

A large proportion of cars arriving from Japan are European models. German brands are particularly prominent, with Volkswagen alone accounting for 10,996 Japanese-sourced imports in 2025, almost twice the number of Toyotas.

Paddy Comyn, Head of Automotive Content and Communications at DoneDeal Cars, said the fall in EV prices had helped create a “healthy second-hand electric market”.

“Buyers who were priced out in 2022 have real choice at accessible values, and they are buying a car that is holding its value rather than losing it,” he said.

“That combination is what turns early adoption into mainstream adoption.”