A new promise guaranteeing battery health of 90% or above in used electric vehicles (EVs) has boosted UK dealers’ confidence and appetite to buy the vehicles – with the trial scheme now being made permanent by Motability Operations.
Motability Operations – the company that runs the Motability Scheme – recently launched a pilot scheme through its remarketing platform, mfldirect, inviting dealers to independently test the battery health of any EV purchased.
With the assurance that any vehicle falling short of the 90% threshold could be returned at no cost, the trial saw dealer searches for EVs on the platform increase by 25%.
According to recent findings from the Motability Scheme’s EV Transition Tracker, 1 in 2 (50%) drivers who would not consider an EV for their next vehicle said they were worried about battery lifespan. Similarly, three quarters (74%) of used car dealers in the UK said that battery health matters to retail customers.
The battery life guarantee has gone a long way in tackling this shared concern, giving both dealers and drivers the reassurance they need to buy and sell used EVs with confidence. Since the trial’s launch, 110 dealerships that had previously only purchased petrol or diesel vehicles have bought EVs from mfldirect for the first time.
Following the success of the trial, Motability Operations has now made the battery health guarantee a permanent policy.
Although new EV prices are beginning to fall, they still remain higher than petrol and diesel models and the used car market will be critical to making the switch to electric more affordable across UK households.
Motability Operations believes that, if rolled out on a wider scale, battery health guarantees will give more drivers the confidence and affordable access to choose an EV.
Andrew Miller, CEO at Motability Operations, said:
“Battery reliability is one of the biggest sticking points for UK drivers. Our guarantee tackles this hesitancy head on, giving both dealers and consumers the reassurance they need. It’s a simple step that can make a real difference to the growth of the used market and support the UK’s wider EV transition.”
Toby Poston, Chief Executive at BVRLA, said:
“The used market holds the key for a healthy and sustainable transition to cleaner, greener vehicles. Every month we see registration figures of new electric vehicles grow, with that high demand feeding the used EV market. Drivers are driven by cost, clarity and confidence. Initiatives such as this represent a big step forward in providing that confidence, enabling more drivers to make the switch and opening up zero-emission motoring to more households.”
Ian Mansfield, Head of Buying at Motorpoint, said:
“We’ve seen demand for used electric vehicles grow considerably in recent years and they’re now one of the fastest selling fuel types on the market. As a business, we’re committed to offering our customers unrivalled choice when shopping for their next car and mfldirect’s Battery Health Protection is important when it comes to our EV stock. Since we signed up to the trial we’ve seen interest continue to grow, even with consumers who would have historically been sceptical about the battery life of second-hand EVs.”
Image courtesy of Motability Operations.
