LONDON, June 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Electric cars are often seen as a smart long-term purchase, and new research from Insureworks has revealed which popular EVs are holding onto the most value.
The analysis compared original RRP against current UK used market prices for 2025, 2024 and 2023 models, estimating value retained after one, two and three years.
Tesla was the strongest-performing EV brand overall, with the Model 3 and Model Y retaining an average of 64.9% of their original value across the model years analysed. This equated to an average cash loss of £17,367.
Audi followed closely, with the Q4 e-tron retaining an average of 63.1% of its original value, equal to an average cash loss of £19,775. BMW, Hyundai and Kia also ranked among the strongest value-retaining EV brands overall, with each holding onto more than 55% of its original value on average.
Top five EVs retaining the most value overall:
|
Rank |
EV brand / models analysed |
Average value retained |
Average cash loss |
|
1 |
Tesla / Model 3 and Model Y |
64.9 % |
£17,367 |
|
2 |
Audi / Q4-e-tron |
63.1 % |
£19,775 |
|
3 |
BMW / i4 |
57.5 % |
£24,186 |
|
4 |
Hyundai / Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 |
55.8 % |
£18,394 |
|
5 |
Kia / EV6 and Niro |
55.2 % |
£19,582 |
Nick Rinylo, Director at Insureworks, said: “Electric cars can make a lot of sense for drivers, especially when it comes to running costs, and our research shows that some models are holding their value better than others.
Stronger value retention can be good news for owners, but depreciation is still one of the biggest hidden costs of ownership. Buyers need to think carefully about the total cost of ownership, rather than just the upfront price, monthly finance cost or estimated fuel savings.
This is also where protection such as RTI GAP insurance can become important. If a vehicle is written off or stolen, a standard motor insurance payout will usually be based on the car’s market value at the time of the claim, not what the driver originally paid for it.”
Insureworks analysed a sample of UK used electric vehicle listings on Auto Trader and compared average used prices against original RRP. Rankings only include models where sufficient source data was available, with valid RRP and used-price data included in the analysis. Data snapshot: 21 May 2026.
Media Contact:
Tierney O’Grady
tierney@assisted.uk
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