According to the latest data from Auto Trader’s Fastest-Selling Index, the 2016 Nissan LEAF electric car was the UK’s fastest-selling used car in 2021. On average, this all-electric car took just 17 days to leave forecourts.
This marks only the second time a fully electric vehicle (EV) has topped the annual top 10 list during the seven years Auto Trader has monitored the market’s fastest sellers.
The Index, which tracks the potential speed at which vehicles will sell based on live supply and demand in the market, reflects the recent surge in demand for electric and low emission vehicles.
In addition to the Nissan LEAF, the top 10 included its French counterpart, the Renault Zoe (2018, automatic), which was 2019’s fastest-selling used car. Last year it took an average of just 20 days to leave forecourts, making it 2021’s seventh fastest-selling used car.
This data also shows the stunning acceleration in the average time it takes for a used electric car to sell. On average, a used electric vehicle in December sold in just 26 days, which is eight days faster than the average time it takes for a used petrol vehicle to sell (34) and four days faster than a used diesel (30).
This is a drop of 18 days from the start of 2021, where used electric vehicles were taking an average of 44 to sell on UK forecourts.
Auto Trader’s data also showed that engagement in electric cars on its site is up 74 percent year-on-year, with one in five new car searches on its marketplace are for an electric vehicle. This further highlights the increased appetite for electric vehicles in the UK.
Topping the list for the most viewed electric cars last year was Ford’s new fully electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Mustang Mach-E. It fended off stiff competition from the already iconic Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Volkswagen ID.3 that were second and third place respectively.
The MACH-E has made such an impact on consumers, that it’s the only pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) to make it onto the top 10 most viewed new cars in 2021, reaching an impressive ninth position. The IONIQ 5 and ID.3 just missed out, reaching a respectable 11th and 12th place respectively.
Karolina Edwards-Smajda, Auto Trader’s Commercial Product Director, said: “It’s incredibly positive to see a pure electric at the top of the list for 2021. There’s been a real breakthrough for EVs in the UK over the last few years, but 2021 really did mark a major step forward in terms of heightened levels of demand.
“This was driven, in part, by the greater choice and availability of models, as well as the recent fuel shortage which helped to further accelerate consumer consideration.
“Although we’re still some way off EVs being financially accessible for the mass market, our data does offer another clear sign of things to come and the exciting opportunity that electric vehicles represent for the industry.”
