Marketcheck, the UK’s most significant source of data on the used car market, has today released new figures showing year-on-year growth in used car sales for December, with electric vehicles (EVs) leading the way.
In December 2025, a total of 261,409 used cars were sold across the UK, a 9.74% increase on December 2024, when 238,206 vehicles were sold.
The data reveals particularly strong performance in the used electric vehicle segment. 14,632 used EVs were sold in December 2025, up from 9,856 in December 2024. An impressive 48.45% year-on-year increase. This marks continued momentum in EV sales, even in the second-hand market.
Petrol vehicles also saw steady growth, with 143,718 used petrol cars sold in December 2025 compared to 130,858 the year before – a rise of 9.85%.
Alastair Campbell, Marketcheck UK, commented:
“December closed the year on a positive note for the UK’s used car market. Total sales rose by nearly 10% year-on-year, with strong performances across both electric and petrol segments. The standout figure is the nearly 50% increase in used EV sales, showing that electric vehicles are becoming a more accessible and attractive option for second-hand buyers.
This continued growth in the used EV sector reflects improving availability, falling prices, and a growing appetite among consumers for more sustainable transport. All positive signs for the health of the market heading into 2026.”
ENDS
About Marketcheck:
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]