Want to buy an electric car but aren’t sure how much it will be worth when you sell it? You can rest easy if you buy one of these.
The electric cars that depreciate value Slowest
A lot of other types of cars used to lose more worth than electric cars did in three years. This was because electric cars were seen as a niche choice by buyers. People were worried about how long their batteries would last. But those times are long gone.
On the plus side, batteries last a lot longer than people thought they would. Electric models are becoming more common nowadays. In fact, more than 15% of all cars registered in the UK so far this year have been these. Even better, many of them are losing value at a very slow rate.
Still, there are big differences between the best and worst models. Here, we use our data on residual value to show you the 10 models that lose the least amount of their original price in the first three years. This is based on what you can expect for a trade-in that has 36,000 miles on it.
1. The Tesla Model Y
Price drop of £17,165 | Retained value of 61.85% | Model RWD | List price £44,990 | 36k/3yr selling value £27,825 |
The Tesla Model Y is basically an SUV version of the Tesla Model 3 executive car. It has a higher driving position, a more useful hatchback-style trunk opening, and even better resale values.
It’s not a better all-arounder, though, as the ride isn’t as smooth. There is more road and suspension noise than with its brother. Even the RWD models don’t have impressive ranges. They can only go 283 miles between charges, while the Long Range models can go 331 miles.
At least if you own one, you can use Tesla’s Supercharger network of very reliable and very fast charging sites. And if you care most about how much a car loses value over time, the Model Y keeps more of its value than any other electric car.
2. The Lotus Eletre
Model R 112kwh had a list price of £120,000 and a selling value of £74,125 after 3 years. The price dropped by £45,875 and the value was kept at 61.77%.
Lotus may not seem like the type of company that would make a big, fancy SUV. But the British sports car company says they will make the Eletre live up to its name. In this case, that means giving it a lot of power, which the top-of-the-line R models will get with 892bhp from two electric motors and a time of just 2.5sec for 0–62mph.
You’ll get the same 112kWh battery in all Eletre models, which gives the Eletre R models a range of up to 304 miles and the Eletre and Eletre S models a range of 373 miles. Not a single form of the car is cheap, but that makes it rare, and its value will stay high longer than almost any other electric car.
3. The VW ID Buzz
Price drop of £22,865 | Retained value of 61.19% for Model Life Pro 77kWh | List price of £58,915 | 36k/3yr selling value of £36,050 |
The ID Buzz should be at the top of your list if you need a lot of room for people and their stuff but also want to save money. It’s not only the best electric seven-seater for depreciation, but it’s also a great car in its own right—so great that it’s our favorite right now.
Why does the ID Buzz deserve our highest honor? Well, besides the fact that the inside is very roomy, it’s also fun to drive. It’s easy to weave through city streets thanks to its very small turning circle. Its 201bhp motor gives it strong performance, and the stated electric range of 260 miles is plenty.
4. MG 4
Price drop of £10,995 for the Model SE 51kWh, which had a list price of £26,995 and a market value of £16,000 after 36k/3 years.
The MG4 is by far the cheapest car on this list, but it also gives you such a good return on your money—after three years and 36,000 miles, it loses just over £10,000.
Figures that are easy on the wallet aren’t the only part of the story, though. In Standard Range form, the smallest electric MG model can go up to 218 miles on a full charge and comes with a long guarantee. It doesn’t cost that much more to get the Long Range model, which can go up to 281 miles. It’s so great that we named the MG 4 our Small Electric Car of the Year for 2017.
5. The Cupra born
Model: e-boost V3 77kWh; original price: £40,955; 36k/3yr selling value: £24,125; price drop: £16,830; retained value: 58.91%
If having fun while driving is important to you when picking out a new electric car, then the Cupra Born should be at the top of your list. This car has more flavor and spice than its Volkswagen ID 3 brother. It also has a nicer interior and is more fun to drive. When the Born goes around turns, it feels eager and sharp, and it rides along country roads with a serene ease. Comfort is also good because the Born’s suspension smooths out road bumps and rough spots well.
Putting a Cupra Born in your yard will cost more than most of its small electric car competitors. The good news is that the Born keeps more of its value than most of those cars. This is the “most” electric family car we could find. The next car on our list is better.
6. The Jeep Avenger
With a list price of £36,500 and a selling value of £21,325 after 36 months, the Model First Edition 54kWh has lost £15,175 in value and kept 58.42% of its value.
The Avenger is Jeep’s first attempt at making an electric car. It aims to mix the usefulness of an SUV with the low costs of running an electric car. It’s mostly a success. The Avenger is most comfortable in cities, where its light driving and small turning circle make it easy to drive. Each model comes with the same 54kWh battery, so in real life, you should be able to go at least 180 miles before you need to plug it in.
It’s a good investment even before you think about how much it will lose value over time. The Avenger is cheaper than most of its competitors. Plus, First Edition units come with everything you need.
7. Audi E-tron GT RS
Model Quattro Carbon Black | From £119,950 to £69,275 in 36k/3yrs | Price drop of £50,675 | Retained value of 57.75%
A lot of people will stop and stare as you drive by in your electric car, but the E-tron GT RS is the best choice. It gets 590bhp most of the time and is the faster version of Audi’s electric E-tron GT. We say “most of the time” because you can unleash a huge 637bhp for short periods of time. This is enough to speed up to highway speeds in just 3.3 seconds.
The E-tron GT RS is fast, but it also has a long range, a nice interior, a beautiful 16-speaker stereo, and enough room in the trunk for your weekend gear. And the RS still holds its value very well, even though it drops enough value over three years to buy another electric car.
8. Volvo C40 Recharge
Price drop of £20,705 | Retained value of 57.18% | List price of £48,355 | 36k/3yr selling value of £27,650 |
It’s not too far off to compare the Volvo C40 to the XC40 Recharge in terms of style. Both are based on the Volvo XC40 family SUV, which was named Carzhawk? Car of the Year in 2013. Most things about the C40 are the same as its more traditional-looking sibling. For example, the C40 shares the same battery and motor choices. But don’t think it’s slow; our favorite model has a single motor and rear-wheel drive. It can still reach 62mph in 7.3 seconds, which is fast enough for most people.
A competitor, the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, costs more to buy directly than the C4o. The C4o will also lose less value after 36,000 miles, so when you sell it, you’ll get more of your money back.
9. The Polestar 3
This is the Model 111kWh Long Range DM Plus Pilot. It was originally priced at £79,900, but now it’s only £34,475, and 56.85% of its value has been retained.
The newest Polestar electric SUV hasn’t been driven yet, but it looks like a good buy if you want to get a good return on your money. The Polestar 3 goes up against the Audi Q8 E-tron and the BMW iX. It has two electric motors that work together to make a healthy 482bhp. It takes 5.0 seconds to go from 0 to 62 mph, but only 4.7 seconds if you choose the extra Performance Pack, which increases the power to 510bhp.
All versions of the 3 will use the same 111kWh battery when it first comes out, which will give it a range of up to 379 miles between charges. However, cheaper models with smaller batteries will likely come out soon after the model goes on sale.
10. Electric Kia Niro
List price for a Model 2 64kWh is £36,295; after 36 months, it’s worth £21,075; the price has dropped £16,220; and the value has been kept 56.51%.
Carzhawk? named the first Kia e-Niro Car of the Year, and this new version is still a strong candidate in the electric SUV market.
All of them have the same 201bhp electric motor and 64.8kWh battery, which gives them a range of up to 285 miles between charges. The inside of the Niro EV looks a lot like the inside of the bigger, more expensive EV6, which makes it feel like it was made to last. You won’t have to worry about room in the Niro EV’s back seats either, because they’re big enough to fit seven carry-on suitcases.
Things that are bad about the Niro EV are that it charges slowly and the metals inside are hard, but at least you’ll get a lot of your money back when you sell it.
