The near new EV opportunity for dealers
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4 min read
carsales has been tracking EV consumer sentiment since 2020. The latest results show lifetime EV consideration climbing from 36% to 54% in six months¹. Rising petrol prices are a big part of why, with 37% of buyers saying recent fuel costs have made them more likely to consider an EV than they were before².
For dealers, the number worth sitting with is this one. 52% of EV intenders are now open to buying either new or used, the highest in three years3. Here’s the part that matters for your lot.
Buyers open to a used EV aren’t open to just any used EV. 63% won’t consider one older than three years⁴. And 66% won’t accept a new EV if told it’ll lose more than 30% of its value over three years⁵, even though nearly two thirds of EV buyers already think that’s roughly what happens anyway⁶.
Put together, the age limit and the depreciation limit define a near new EV market, with buyers arriving already knowing the band they’ll accept. Read it as a brief. Stock and price within that window to align with demand that already exists. Stock outside it, and you’re working against expectations buyers brought with them.
That near new stock has to come from somewhere too. 90% of existing EV owners say they’re likely to buy another EV⁷, a figure that’s climbed back up on the same petrol prices driving buyer interest. Their trade ins are about to become your near new stock.
Buyers in this segment have effectively priced the car before they’ve seen it. They know roughly what depreciation they’ll accept, and they’ve got a number in mind for what a near new EV should cost.
Discover Insights, AutoGate’s AI assistant*, draws on carsales market data and is built for exactly this. Open it from anywhere in the platform, ask what’s happening with EV pricing and inventory right now, and get an up to date live read on the market instead of a guess. In a category where values are still settling, that’s the difference between a price that matches what an informed buyer expects and one that sends them back to the search results.
Getting the price right gets buyers through the door. What happens next depends on whether you can answer the question most of them are still carrying.
Battery health and replacement is the single biggest cost uncertainty for EV intenders, named by 53%⁸, more than any other concern and is still the one issue most haven’t had answered.
A tool already sitting inside your AutoGate inventory listings covers both. A battery health report through Redbook Inspect gives a clear read on the condition of the EV you’ve just taken on, useful on its own when you’re working inside that near new window and want to know exactly what you’re putting on the floor.
The same report becomes your answer to the buyer’s biggest question. Rather than waiting to be asked about battery health and replacement cost, hand them the report. A readily available third-party assessment turns the largest source of uncertainty into the easiest objection you’ll handle all week.
71% of EV intenders say they’d rather buy through a dealer¹⁰. What’s changed is what they expect once they’re standing on your floor.
Price within the window they’ve already settled on. Answer the question they’re already carrying, before they ask it. Start with Discover Insights on your next near new EV trade in, and pull a battery health report before it goes on the floor. That’s two small habits that can make a noticeable difference for buyers who’ve already made up more of their mind than you might expect.
To learn more about discover insights, battery health report or any of our other tools, contact your carsales representative today.
Sources
* Industry Insights Assistant content is generated by AI and may provide false, inaccurate or incomplete answers
All figures are from the carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=1,521 respondents across Australia, weighted to the Australian population.
1 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026 (compared against January 2026), n=700. Have you ever considered purchasing an electric vehicle?
2 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=731. In recent months, petrol prices have changed. To what extent, if at all, has this affected how likely you are to consider an electric vehicle?
3 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=632. Which type of EV would you consider buying? Asked of non owners who have considered an EV.
4 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=196. What is the oldest EV you’d consider buying used?
5 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=278. And what’s the maximum 3 year depreciation you’d accept on a new EV?
6 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=731. What percentage of an EV’s value do you think it loses in the first 3 years? Reflects the full sample. EV intenders alone sit at 54%, against 81% for non intenders.
7 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=90. How likely are you to buy another electric vehicle in the future? Asked of existing EV owners.
8 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=637, weighted to age, EV intenders. Hypothetically, if you were considering buying an electric vehicle in the future, what aspects of the cost would you be most uncertain about?
9 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=637, weighted to age, EV intenders. Hypothetically, if you were considering buying an electric vehicle in the future, what aspects of the cost would you be most uncertain about?
10 carsales EV Consumer Survey, May 2026, n=463. How would you prefer to buy a new EV? Asked of non owners who have considered an EV.
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