Overall Market Overview – February 2026
Across the UK:
- 832,268 used ICE vehicles were listed
- 69,347 used electric vehicles were advertised
- ICE vehicles remained dominant in overall supply
- EV market share continued to expand within dealer inventories
Average pricing remained consistent across both fuel types, reinforcing steady UK car price trends entering early 2026.
From a commercial standpoint, dealer strategy now reflects two parallel markets:
- A mature ICE sector focused on stock efficiency
- A growing EV sector shaped by pricing adjustment and adoption maturity
Used Car Market (ICE) – February 2026 Topline
The ICE segment continues to represent the structural backbone of the UK automotive ecosystem.
Key Market Statistics
- Total dealers: 10,644
- Dealer rooftops: 15,248
- Total listings: 832,268 vehicles
- Average days on market: 75 days
- Average advertised price: £18,609
Stock levels remain widely distributed across franchise groups, independents, supermarkets, and car auction sourcing channels.
Dealer participation shows that combustion vehicles still underpin finance portfolios, insurance valuation models, and remarketing pipelines.
Breakdown Of Listings By Price Bands – ICE Vehicles
The price band distribution graph highlights where consumer demand and dealer stocking decisions currently align.
The strongest concentration sits between £10,000 and £20,000, accounting for over 337,000 vehicles. This continues to represent the transactional centre of the UK used car market.
Key observations:
- Entry-level vehicles under £10,000 accounted for 228,928 listings
- Mid-market vehicles (£20,000–£30,000) reached 150,490 listings
- Premium stock above £50,000 maintained 27,716 listings
This structure reflects lending affordability thresholds and consumer monthly payment expectations. Dealers operating within the £10k–£20k bracket continue to achieve the widest buyer reach.
Higher-value inventory remains present but concentrated among larger dealer groups and prestige specialists.
For insurers and finance providers, this pricing spread reinforces predictable valuation bands across risk modelling and residual forecasting.
Number Of Dealers By Advert Volumes – ICE Market
Dealer volume segmentation illustrates how inventory is distributed operationally.
The majority of dealers fall into the 0–100 vehicle inventory range, with 9,448 businesses operating at this scale.
Breakdown trends show:
- Independent dealers dominate lower inventory brackets
- Medium-sized dealer groups occupy the 101–500 vehicle ranges
- Large-scale supermarket and group operations populate the 500+ categories
Only 88 dealers held inventories exceeding 1,000 vehicles.
This confirms a fragmented supply environment where data visibility becomes commercially valuable. Businesses able to benchmark stock positioning against national inventory gain stronger pricing discipline.
Analysis Of Top 100 Dealers By Volume – ICE Vehicles
The Top 100 dealers controlled 325,701 vehicles, representing a significant share of national supply.
Performance indicators show clear operational advantages:
- Average days on market: 50 days
- Average price: £22,016
Vehicles sold by high-volume operators move faster and command higher pricing compared with the wider dealer population.
Outside the Top 100:
- Average days on market increased to 90 days
- Average price fell to £16,350
Scale clearly influences stock turn efficiency. Larger operators benefit from:
- Pricing intelligence
- National exposure
- Structured acquisition channels
- Automated repricing strategies
These insights are frequently used by investment firms and dealer groups assessing acquisition opportunities or expansion performance.
Electric Used Car Market – February 2026 Topline
The electric used car market continues to mature, supported by wider dealer participation and improving supply consistency.
Key EV Market Statistics
- Total EV dealers: 3,381
- Electric rooftops: 6,988
- Total EV listings: 69,347 vehicles
- Average days on market: 63 days
- Average advertised price: £23,660
EVs remain priced above ICE equivalents, though pricing compression continues as supply expands.
Dealer adoption now extends beyond franchise networks into independent retailers integrating EV stock alongside traditional inventory.
Breakdown Of Listings By Price Bands – Electric Vehicles
EV pricing distribution differs noticeably from ICE vehicles.
The strongest activity occurs between £10,000 and £30,000, accounting for nearly three quarters of all listings.
Price band highlights:
- £10,000–£20,000: 29,202 listings
- £20,000–£30,000: 20,443 listings
- Sub-£10,000 EVs increased to 4,177 units
- Premium EVs above £50,000 reached 3,167 listings
Growth in lower-price EV availability signals market ageing. Earlier electric models are now entering secondary ownership cycles.
For lenders and insurers, this expanding affordability band increases EV penetration into mainstream consumer finance agreements.
Number Of Dealers By Advert Volumes – EV Market
Dealer participation patterns show EV adoption still developing.
Inventory distribution reveals:
- 3,167 dealers stock fewer than 100 EVs
- Only 13 dealers exceed 1,000 EV listings
Most retailers treat EVs as complementary inventory rather than primary stock.
This transitional phase creates pricing variability across regions and dealer types. Access to national advert-level data allows businesses to benchmark EV exposure against competitors.
Analysis Of Top 100 Dealers By Volume – Electric Vehicles
The Top 100 EV dealers held 46,403 vehicles, demonstrating strong concentration among early adopters and large dealer groups.
Performance comparison shows:
- Average days on market: 54 days
- Average price: £23,829
Outside the Top 100:
- Average days on market extended to 80 days
- Average price averaged £23,311
The performance gap indicates that EV retail success still relies heavily on operational scale and pricing intelligence.
High-volume EV retailers benefit from stronger consumer trust, established charging knowledge within sales teams, and targeted digital marketing strategies.
Leading Electric Models In The Used Market
February’s most advertised EVs highlight consistent consumer preference patterns.
Top listed models included:
- Tesla Model 3
- Tesla Model Y
- Volkswagen ID.3
- Nissan Leaf
- Audi Q4 e-tron
- Vauxhall Mokka Electric
- Mini Hatch Electric
- Hyundai Kona Electric
- Kia Niro EV
- Polestar 2
Tesla continues to dominate listing volume, reinforcing strong residual demand within the used EV sector.
Model diversity across manufacturers indicates wider acceptance beyond early EV adopters.
EV Share Compared To ICE Market
Understanding EV penetration within total supply provides context for wider UK car price trends and future stock planning.
Market Share – February 2026
- EV share of listings: 8.33%
- Non-EV share: 91.67%
ICE vehicles still represent the overwhelming majority of available stock. EV share growth shows steady integration rather than rapid displacement.
Pricing Comparison
- Average EV price: £23,660
- Average ICE price: £18,609
EVs maintain a pricing premium of roughly £5,000.
This gap influences:
- Finance approval structures
- Insurance valuation models
- Dealer stocking risk
- Residual value forecasting
As more EVs move into lower price brackets, parity between fuel types becomes increasingly realistic across mass-market segments.