Ratio EV Charging/UnsplashIf you've ever tried to sell a used car, you know that you almost always end up selling it for significantly less than you paid. According to a 2026 Carfax report, a car will lose about 12.5 percent of its value in the first year of ownership. It will then depreciate by about 5 percent a year for the next four years, causing your car to be worth about 66 percent of its purchase price after just five years. However, CNBC reports that the same can't be said of electric vehicles (EVs). Instead, new reports find that these cars are doing something shocking in the resale market, and it looks like the average EV's resale price is on the rise.That's great news for owners looking to offload their EVs, but obviously not so great for anyone looking to save some money by purchasing a used EV. So, why are EVs seemingly immune to the problem that plagues most automobiles? AdvertisementAdvertisementIt sounds like there are two things "supercharging" the market, and that may be a boon for EV owners looking to make a little extra cash when they sell or trade in their vehicles this year. Andrew Roberts/UnsplashEVs Are Retaining Their Values at a Shocking RateWhile it's pretty much understood that cars don't retain their value as well as some other large purchases, EVs have notoriously depreciated at a high rate, according to CNBC. However, that doesn't seem to be the case for current resale values, as the publication reports that prices for used EVs have been rising in 2026.According to the July 2026 data from Recurrent, the prices are up 5.1 percent from January to June. And it looks like that spike is going to stick around, since Recurrent reports that prices are up 7 percent through mid-July.The Trend Holds Across a Variety of FactorsIt's not just one thing driving these numbers, according to Recurrent. The publication says it looked at the same make and model year vehicle using 108 combinations, weighing price growth alongside inventory volume. AdvertisementAdvertisementCNBC asked Edmunds to perform an exclusive analysis of the numbers for the publication, and found that the average price for a 3-year-old EV rose 6 percent during the first half of the year, jumping from $31,429 to $33,303. In short, the research finds that EV owners who have been looking to sell may want to strike while the iron is hot, since the math is working in their favor at the moment. Why Are Prices on the Rise?You have to ask yourself why EVs are behaving so unexpectedly on the resale market. According to CNBC, it doesn't make sense at first glance, since prices are typically based on supply and demand. Currently, the EV market is flooded with used cars, which means that the supply should be outpacing the demand.Additionally, the end of the EV tax break, which expired on Sept. 30, 2025, should have also lessened the demand for these types of cars. However, outside factors seem to be at work here, giving the vehicles an unexpected boost. The conflict in Iran seems to be a major selling point, since it has caused gas prices to rise roughly 31 percent since last year, according to July 28, 2026, data from the Energy Information Administration. Affordability is also playing a role. AdvertisementAdvertisementPrices of new vehicles continue to rise due to inflation, prompting more people to consider used vehicles when it comes time to buy something new and pushing them towards the resale market. In April 2026, Cox Automotive noted that new EV sales were down year-over-year, and many say that the sales of new vehicles dropped 27 percent. Now Is the Time to Consider Your OptionsIf you were thinking about selling your EV, now may be the time to take a serious look at the math to determine whether it's worth your while, since you'll likely need to spend a little bit more to replace it with something newer.That being said, some EV owners could make a few bucks when selling their vehicles, making the deal a worthwhile trade-off. If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.
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