Used EV Prices Are Falling in 2026: How to Sell Them Before They Depreciate on You

Used electric vehicles are the segment under the most price pressure in the US used market right now, and they are the segment most dealerships are handling the worst. The prices have been falling, they are forecast to keep falling through late 2026, and the inventory is sitting on lots longer than gas inventory because most stores are still merchandising and financing EVs the same way they merchandised and financed them a year ago. That combination, falling values and long days-to-turn, is exactly how a unit depreciates on you while you still own it.

Here is what the used EV price picture actually looks like, why the segment is under pressure, and what a dealership should do to move EV inventory before the next leg of depreciation lands on the aging report.

What used EV prices are actually doing

The used EV market has been softening on two timelines at once. On a monthly basis, used EV sticker prices have been falling. On a year-over-year basis, the decline is steeper. CarEdge, citing market data, reports that the average sticker price for used EVs declined roughly 2.4 percent year over year and 2.7 percent month over month into the late fall, settling around $36,440. Even after that decline, used EVs still carry a meaningful premium, roughly $9,000 on average over comparable gas inventory in 2026.

The forecast from here is not a recovery. CarEdge expects further downward price pressure to send the average selling price of a used EV down another 5 to 10 percent by late 2026. The drivers are straightforward: a rush of EV buying in late 2025 left 2026 used EV inventory stagnant on lots, and more affordable electric models, like a revamped Chevy Bolt and the Nissan LEAF, are arriving this year and adding fresh downward pressure on the used side. More supply chasing fewer committed buyers, at a premium price point, is the textbook setup for falling values.

Why this segment is harder on a dealership than falling gas prices

Falling prices on any unit are a carrying cost, but used EVs carry two extra problems on top of the depreciation.

The first is days-to-turn. Used EV inventory has been sitting longer than gas inventory because the buyer pool is thinner and more research-driven. A shopper considering a used EV is comparing range, battery health, charging access, and incentive eligibility, not just price and payment. That longer decision window means the unit sits, and sitting is where the depreciation does its damage. A unit that turns in 30 days at a modest gross beats a unit that turns in 80 days at a headline gross, because the 80-day unit has bled value the whole time and consumed lot capacity you could have used for a faster-turning vehicle.

The second is the premium itself. A roughly $9,000 premium over gas means the EV has more value to lose, so the same percentage drop costs you more dollars per unit. A 5 percent decline on a $36,000 EV is $1,800. The same 5 percent on a $27,000 gas sedan is $1,350. The EV's higher floor means its depreciation hits the floorplan harder, faster.

The segment split you should actually run

Not every used unit is under the same pressure, and a dealership that treats its used lot as one pile is mispricing half of it. CarEdge's 2026 forecast splits the segments cleanly. SUVs and trucks are expected to remain firm, with room for 1 to 5 percent average increases on top models. Used sedans are the soft gas segment, likely to fall 1 to 5 percent. Used EVs are the segment forecast to fall 5 to 10 percent by late 2026.

That split tells you where to point acquisition, pricing, and marketing. Hold the SUVs and trucks, they are defending their value. Price the sedans to move, they are softening. Move the EVs aggressively, they are the ones depreciating on you while you read this.

How to actually move used EV inventory

The dealerships moving EV inventory well right now are doing four things, and none of them are exotic.

First, they are pricing EVs against the current market, not against what they paid for them. A unit tagged at last quarter's wholesale number in a market that has since dropped is a unit that does not get test driven. Price against today's comps, take the gross hit up front, and protect the rest of the floor's capacity.

Second, they are merchandising the EV-specific questions a buyer actually has. Range, battery health, charging setup, and incentive eligibility are the questions that move a used EV shopper from browsing to buying. A listing that answers those questions out loud, in the photos and the description, outperforms a listing that just shows the car and the price. This is the inventory-merchandising work that Amazon Autos, for the franchise stores on it, rewards directly, because its no-negotiation model puts the entire sales pitch onto the listing.

Third, they are structuring the financing for an EV buyer, not a gas buyer. The EV buyer's payment math includes a possible charging setup, possible incentive applications, and an insurance band that can differ from gas. Building the payment options upfront, the way you would for any payment-sensitive buyer, prevents the deal from walking at the finance desk over a number the buyer had to negotiate their way to.

Fourth, they are putting marketing behind the EVs that need to move, not the EVs that look good in the ad. Inventory-based advertising aimed at the aging EV units is what turns them before the next depreciation tranche. A generic brand ad does not move a specific aging unit. A campaign built on that specific unit's photos, price, and EV details does.

How credit-screened leads fit the EV buyer

A used EV shopper is often a near-prime or prime buyer doing real research, which means a credit-screened, phone-verified lead is the right shape of lead for this segment. Auto Leads Made Easy delivers prime and subprime leads to US dealerships with Auto Closer AI handling the inbound conversation and SMS follow-up, every lead pre-screened for credit, income, and employment, sold once and never duplicated, and backed by a 48-hour replacement guarantee. Across our 10-plus dealer partners, close rates run 8 to 12 percent into average deal sizes of $7,000 to $10,000.

That kind of screened lead, matched to a properly priced and merchandised EV, is what turns the unit before it ages. An unscreened lead on a mispriced EV is a lost afternoon for the floor and another week on the aging report for the unit.

Book a call

If you have EV inventory aging on your lot and you want a pricing, merchandising, and lead plan aimed at moving it before the next leg of depreciation, book a call. We will look at your EV inventory, your segment mix, and your current turn, and tell you honestly where the marketing should be pointed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much are used EV prices falling in 2026? A: Used EV sticker prices declined roughly 2.4 percent year over year and 2.7 percent month over month into late 2025, settling around $36,440 on average, and they still carry roughly a $9,000 premium over gas on average. CarEdge forecasts the average used EV price to fall another 5 to 10 percent by late 2026.

Q: Why are used EVs falling faster than gas inventory? A: A late 2025 buying rush left 2026 used EV inventory stagnant on lots, and more affordable new EV models like a revamped Chevy Bolt and the Nissan LEAF are arriving, adding fresh supply and downward price pressure on the used side.

Q: Why is falling EV pricing harder on a dealership than falling gas pricing? A: Used EVs turn slower because the buyer pool is thinner and more research-driven, so the unit sits longer, and they carry a higher premium so each percentage of depreciation costs more dollars. Both compound the carrying cost.

Q: How should a dealership price used EV inventory right now? A: Against today's comps, not against what you paid. Price the unit to the current market, take the gross adjustment up front, and put inventory-based marketing behind the aging units so they turn before the next depreciation tranche.

Q: Does Auto Leads Made Easy help sell used EVs? A: We supply credit-screened, phone-verified prime and subprime leads with Auto Closer AI for US dealerships, sold once and never duplicated, with a 48-hour replacement guarantee. Close rates run 8 to 12 percent into average deal sizes of $7,000 to $10,000. Screened leads matched to properly priced EVs turn the inventory instead of aging it.