2026 Will Be a Great Year for Used EV Deals

New car prices have surged to around $50,000 this year, and EV models have climbed even higher. Several trends contribute to this, including rising tariff-caused inflation. Automakers also based their pricing strategies on the car-buying habits of the 2010s, when Americans consistently opted for larger, more expensive, and feature-rich vehicles.

Kelley Blue Book reported that electric vehicle (EV) prices edged higher to an estimated $59,125 in October, up 2.3% year over year. A likely cause was the poorly planned, disorganized, and ill-advised sudden yanking away of the federal EV tax credit, which cost carmakers billions.

Today, with interest rates still high and inflation persistent, consumers are more cautious and focused on getting a good deal. The 2026 used EV market appears poised to provide that opportunity.

Data from Edmunds shows that next year will see a surge in off-lease vehicles returning to the market. The decline in leasing in 2022 left 2025 with unusually low inventories of low-mileage, nearly new vehicles, limiting affordable options for buyers. As leasing recovered in 2023, 2026 will see more lease returns, helping fill that gap. Edmunds estimates roughly 400,000 additional lease returns next year, giving consumers more flexibility, particularly those priced out of the new-vehicle market or seeking lower monthly payments.

Edmunds said about 71 percent of EVs sold in recent years were leased due to a quirk in the EV tax credit rules, which allowed leased vehicles to qualify regardless of where they were made. EV purchase rules were much more stringent, excluding many models due to less domestic production involved. This caused a very short list of new EVs available for purchase under the credit.

Carmakers offered very low lease deals to encourage adoption, resulting in a wave of vehicles coming back to market in 2025 and 2026. EV depreciation has been steep, around 13 percent more than comparable gas vehicles, partly because there is no standardized method to assess battery health. This isn’t good news for used EV sellers, but create opportunities for buyers. EV experts say EV depreciation will normalize and not be an issue in the future, as mass EV adoption accelerates.

Many used EVs now retail for $30,000 or less, often with excellent range, advanced features, and more power than comparable gas cars. The Ford Mustang Mach-E averages $28,970 on the used market, and the Kia EV6 averages around $27,427. These vehicles offer significant value, strong range, and modern technology at prices far below new models.

Battery longevity is generally strong. Modern EV batteries retain capacity well, and vehicles with around 30,000 miles show little degradation. Even older EVs have been known to maintain over 80 percent capacity past 200,000 miles.

Recurrent’s team of battery scientists analyzed battery replacement trends across a community of more than 30,000 electric vehicles. Their research found that the highest rates of battery replacements occur in the earliest generation of EVs, which are now over 14 years old and were built using early battery technology. Between 2015 and 2024, average battery capacities increased by 167 percent, allowing newer EVs to lose a larger portion of their charge before a replacement becomes necessary. As battery management systems continue to improve and newer battery chemistries are adopted, modern electric vehicles are expected to benefit from longer-lasting batteries and fewer replacements over time.

AVILOO and Lectrium announced an important new partnership on December 10, 2025, integrating rapid, independent EV battery diagnostics directly into U.S. dealership Vehicle Detail Pages. The collaboration is designed to validate used EV battery health, improve resale margins, and build buyer confidence. AVILOO, an Austrian diagnostics leader with U.S. operations in Denver, is combining its hardware and analytics with Lectrium’s Brooklyn-based digital merchandising platform so dealerships can present certified battery condition reports to consumers. This effort targets the central barrier in the used EV market: uncertainty about battery health.

Depreciation and off-lease availability make 2026 an excellent year to buy an electric vehicle, providing affordability, long-term savings, and an entry into zero-emission driving. Zero emissions means that EVs are the most eco friendly vehicle, so drivers can feel good about doing their part to save the planet from global human-caused climate change.