Used EV sales rise sharply following start of Iran conflict

Marketcheck, the UK’s most significant source of used car market data, has identified a sharp increase in used electric vehicle sales following the escalation of conflict in the Middle East at the end of February.

Analysis of daily sales shows a clear shift in March. In February 2026, an average of around 787 used EVs were sold per day. This rose significantly to an average of 1,074 per day in March – a notable increase.

Sales volumes increased steadily throughout March, with multiple days exceeding 1,000 units for the first time. The highest daily total was recorded on March 30, with 1,657 vehicles sold.

The timing suggests that rising uncertainty around fuel prices and global energy markets may be significantly influencing consumer behaviour, with more buyers turning to electric vehicles.

Alastair Campbell, Marketcheck UK, commented:

“The jump in daily EV sales in March is notable, both in scale and speed. We saw a clear increase immediately after the end of February, with volumes rising well above recent averages.

While the used EV market has been growing steadily, this kind of acceleration points to external factors influencing buyer decisions. Concerns around fuel costs and wider uncertainty appear to be pushing more consumers towards electric vehicles.

Marketcheck’s data indicates that the used EV market is becoming increasingly responsive to global events, alongside longer-term trends such as improving affordability and availability.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

About Marketcheck:

https://marketcheck.uk/

We are the leading source of UK automotive data. We collate, enhance and manage more data on the UK used car sector than any other provider. For automotive businesses we bring unprecedented access to live data to power analysis, pricing, reporting and AI agents on the UK used car market.

We track over 650,000 cars and 11500 dealers across 16k locations daily.

Contact:

Alistair Harrison
[email protected]