2026-07-02 · Industry News · EVs for Idiots
Not on sticker price, at least not right now: Cox Automotive's average used-EV listing price was $37,441 in August 2026, 7.8% above the $34,740 average for the gas-powered cars in its comparison group, and that premium has grown from 2.9% a year earlier. Over a few years of driving, though, a used EV usually does cost less to own, because charging and maintenance cost less than gas and upkeep. Here are both halves of the math, with the numbers.
| Month (2026) | Average used EV listing | Premium over comparable gas cars |
|---|---|---|
| April | $35,895 | $1,398 |
| May | $37,083 | $2,227 |
| June | not reported in the pages we read | $3,344 |
| July | $37,832 | $2,967 |
| August | $37,441 | 7.8% ($37,441 vs $34,740) |
The direction is up, not down. iSeeCars found the average one-to-five-year-old used EV cost $33,305 in June 2026, up 7.4% from a year earlier, while the overall used car average fell 1.3%. Used Teslas jumped the most: a one-to-five-year-old Model 3 averaged $28,520, up 13.5%. Recurrent puts it simply: used EVs now sell about as fast as comparable gas cars but cost about 8% more.
Why? Demand caught up with supply. Gas prices climbed from $4.07 a gallon at the end of August to $4.48 in late September 2026, according to the EIA, and Cox counted 44,350 used EVs sold in August, up 14.7% from a year earlier. When cars sell that fast, dealers don't discount them.
Averages hide the deals. More than half of used EVs listed in September 2026 were priced under $30,000, Recurrent found, and some popular models sit far below the average. Our used EV price guides show October 2026 asking prices by model year; a few examples:
The sticker is only the first number. Here is a year of driving at 12,000 miles, using national averages: regular gas at about $4.37 a gallon (AAA, October 6, 2026) in a 27 mpg car, and home charging at about 18.3 cents per kWh (EIA, July 2026) in an EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles, the same assumptions behind our EV vs gas pages. Maintenance uses AAA's per-mile estimates from our five-year cost breakdown.
| Cost | Used gas car | Used EV |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel or electricity | about $1,940 | about $660 |
| Maintenance (AAA per-mile estimates) | about $1,310 | about $950 |
| Total | about $3,250 | about $1,610 |
That is roughly $1,600 a year in the EV's favor, so the average $2,700 sticker premium in August pays itself back in under two years at these averages. Your state can move this a lot: charging is much cheaper in some states than others, and many states add a yearly EV registration fee. Insurance and public fast charging can also cost more, so run your own numbers in the savings calculator.
The $4,000 used clean vehicle credit is not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, and nothing federal has replaced it. Several states and utilities still pay on used EVs, from California's utility rebates to New Mexico's refundable credit; the used EV hub lists them, and some require an in-state dealer.
Not on sticker price right now. Cox Automotive's average used-EV listing price was $37,441 in August 2026, 7.8% above the $34,740 average for the gas-powered cars in its comparison group. Because EVs cost less to fuel and maintain, a used EV usually costs less to own over a few years.
Demand. Used-EV prices rose about 8% from a year earlier while the overall used market was flat to down, and gas prices climbed past $4.40 a gallon in September 2026. Used EVs now sell about as fast as comparable gas cars, so dealers have little reason to discount them.
Among the models we track, an older Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt can be found for well under $20,000. Check battery health closely on a Leaf, and get proof the battery recall was fixed on a Bolt. See our used EV price guides by model.
Not a federal one. The IRS says the used clean vehicle credit (up to $4,000) is not available for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. Some states and utilities still pay on used EVs.
We can connect you with a used-EV dealer that delivers nationwide. See used EV prices by model; the request form is on this page.
If you ask us to connect you with a used-EV dealer, the dealer may pay us for the introduction. That never changes what we tell you about a car.
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Sources: Cox Automotive: EV Market Monitor, August 2026, Cox Automotive: EV Market Monitor, July 2026, Cox Automotive: EV Market Monitor, May 2026, Cox Automotive: EV Market Monitor, April 2026, Recurrent: Used electric car prices and market report (Q4 2026), iSeeCars: Used car prices study (July 2026), U.S. EIA: Weekly retail gasoline prices, IRS: Used clean vehicle credit, AAA: True cost of EV ownership