Key facts
- Used EV retail prices rose: +7.4% YoY to a $33,305 average (iSeeCars, June 2025 vs June 2026, N>1.8M), across three straight rising months — April +2.7%, May +5.2%, June +7.4%.
- The overall used-car market fell: -1.3% YoY to $32,395 over the same window.
- EVs remain the worst structural depreciators: 57.2% average five-year loss versus 41.8% for all vehicles (iSeeCars, Mar 2025-Feb 2026, N>950k), lagging the industry by more than 15 points.
- Worst five-year holders (share of original value lost): Nissan LEAF 63.1%, Volkswagen ID.4 62.1%, Tesla Model S 62.0%, Tesla Model X 61.2%, Ford Mustang Mach-E 60.8%, Tesla Model Y 57.8%, Kia Niro EV 57.3%, Hyundai Kona Electric 56.5%.
- Tesla drove the near-term gains: Model X +17.5% (+$9,066), Model 3 +13.5% (+$3,388), Model S +13.1% (+$6,116), Model Y +12.0% (+$3,529) YoY.
- Luxury/sports softened: the average used Porsche 911 fell 10.6% YoY to $118,025, about a $14,063 drop.
- Wholesale was flat-to-down: the Manheim index sat at 211.5 in mid-July 2026, -0.6% seasonally adjusted vs June, +2% YoY; its EV sub-index was +12.4% YoY but -0.4% vs June.
- Structural backdrop: the federal $7,500 new-EV credit (Section 30D) and $4,000 used-EV credit (Section 25E) ended September 30, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Are used EV prices actually rising or falling right now?
Retail used-EV prices are rising. iSeeCars measured the average used EV at $33,305 in June 2026, up 7.4% year over year, after +2.7% in April and +5.2% in May — three consecutive months of YoY gains. Over the same period the overall used-car average fell 1.3% to $32,395. So EVs rose while the broader market drifted down.
The gains concentrated in Tesla. Year over year, the Model X rose 17.5% (+$9,066), the Model 3 13.5% (+$3,388), the Model S 13.1% (+$6,116) and the Model Y 12.0% (+$3,529). Cox Automotive's retail data corroborates the direction: the average used-EV listing was $35,895 in April 2026, up about 5.1% since January (a different base and window from the iSeeCars figure — the two are not the same number and should not be averaged). CNBC reported used-EV prices up roughly 7% since January by early July.
If EVs are the worst for depreciation, why is the used price climbing?
Because two different measurements are pointing in opposite directions, and both are correct. The five-year depreciation figure looks at 2021-era EVs sold in 2025-2026 and asks how much of the original sticker is gone; for EVs that is 57.2% on average, the worst of any powertrain. The near-term price figure looks at 1-to-5-year-old used EVs and asks whether today's asking price is higher than a year ago; right now it is, by 7.4%.
Structural depreciation describes how much value a new EV bleeds over its first five years. Near-term retail movement describes current demand for cars already on the used lot. A vehicle can be a poor long-term value holder and still see its used price bid up this quarter. Outlets tie the demand surge to higher US gas prices (linked earlier in 2026 to the Iran conflict) and to buyers reacting after the federal EV tax credits expired — but every outlet describes that causation as correlational, not proven.
The paradox in one table
The worst long-term depreciators are, right now, among the fastest-rising used cars.
| Model | 5-yr depreciation (Mar'25-Feb'26) | Near-term used price YoY (Jun'25 to Jun'26) | Reads as |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan LEAF | 63.1% (worst overall) | rising with EV segment | worst long-term, firming short-term |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 62.1% | +12.6% (2021 MY retail, Jan to Jun) | structural loser, near-term bid up |
| Tesla Model S | 62.0% | +13.1% (+$6,116) | falling knife that just bounced |
| Tesla Model X | 61.2% | +17.5% (+$9,066) | biggest near-term gainer |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 60.8% | +13.0% (2023 MY retail) | weak resale, hot right now |
| Tesla Model Y | 57.8% | +12.0% (+$3,529) | worst holder, rising sticker |
| Kia Niro EV | 57.3% | rising with segment | -- |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 56.5% | rising with segment | -- |
| EV average | 57.2% | +7.4% YoY | the whole segment's paradox |
| All-vehicle average | 41.8% | -1.3% YoY | market falling as EVs rise |
Two different iSeeCars studies with different windows and samples (five-year depreciation: Mar 2025-Feb 2026, N>950k, five-year-old cars; used-price study: June 2025 vs June 2026, N>1.8M, 1-to-5-year-old cars). They are not directly comparable; the paradox is real but rests on two distinct lenses.
Note the scale of the structural problem: 24 of the 25 worst-depreciating models in the 2026 study are EVs or luxury vehicles, the lone exception being the Jaguar F-PACE. Trucks held value best at 34.2% and hybrids at 35.4%.
Is the used Porsche 911 really down $14,000?
Yes, as a market average. iSeeCars reported the average used 911 (1-to-5 years old) at $118,025 in June 2026, down 10.6% or about $14,063 year over year. That is the figure the Carscoops report and the r/cars thread both trace back to — and it is a segment average, not a single listing and not a month-over-month drop.
Frame it as near-term retail cooling, not structural collapse. iSeeCars' five-year study still ranks the 911 a relatively strong long-term retainer, and independent trackers show only slight month-over-month softening. The softening is broader than one model: Recurrent's data shows used EVs priced $55k+ down 3.3% since January and the $40-55k tier down 1.2%, while cheaper EVs surged — under-$20k up roughly 9% to 15% depending on source and window. The rise is real at the bottom; the top of the market is where prices are giving back.
Wholesale vs retail: which price affects what I pay?
Retail is what you pay, and it is what rose. Wholesale is what dealers pay at auction — tracked by the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index, which sat at 211.5 in mid-July 2026, down 0.6% seasonally adjusted versus June (down 1.9% non-adjusted) and up about 2% year over year. Manheim's EV sub-index was up 12.4% YoY but down 0.4% versus June, with used EVs now exceeding 4% of all Manheim units, a record.
So in early July 2026 wholesale softened seasonally even as retail used-EV asking prices climbed. Keep the channels separate: the "used EVs are getting more expensive" headline is a retail statement. If you read it as a wholesale claim, it reads as wrong.
By the numbers
- $33,305 — average used-EV retail price, June 2026, +7.4% YoY (iSeeCars).
- $32,395 — overall used-car average, June 2026, -1.3% YoY.
- 57.2% vs 41.8% — EV five-year depreciation versus all-vehicle average.
- 63.1% — Nissan LEAF five-year loss, worst overall.
- +17.5% / +$9,066 — Tesla Model X, biggest near-term YoY gainer.
- -10.6% / -$14,063 — average used Porsche 911, to $118,025.
- 211.5 — Manheim wholesale index, mid-July 2026, -0.6% seasonally adjusted vs June.
- Sept 30, 2025 — date the $7,500 (30D) and $4,000 (25E) federal EV credits ended.
Based on published study tables from iSeeCars, Cox/Manheim, and Recurrent, cross-checked against CNBC and Carscoops reporting; figures are the publishers' own and were not independently re-derived. Two iSeeCars datasets with different windows underpin the paradox. Retrieved and verified July 26, 2026.
What a VIN check can and can't tell you here
A Zilocar VIN check does not set or predict the market — but for a single car, in a market where the average EV sticker is up 7.4% while segments diverge, its listing history is exactly the reality-check a buyer needs. If a specific Mach-E or 911 has been relisted repeatedly with the asking price ratcheting up while it sits 90-plus days, that is a seller testing demand, not the market moving.
| What a VIN check CAN show here | What it CANNOT do |
|---|---|
| Sales-listing history: past/current listings, prior asking prices, mileage at each listing, days-on-market | Publish live market indices (Manheim, iSeeCars) or per-model depreciation curves — cite those to the publishers |
| Ownership history, odometer/rollback check, theft (NICB) | Give an appraisal or investment advice — the valuation is a reference point, not a formal appraisal |
| Accident/damage records, salvage/junk auction records | Confirm the legal title brand (it shows salvage/junk auction records, not the brand itself) |
| Recall presence/count screening (same as NHTSA's free tool) | Confirm a recall was remedied, or flag NHTSA investigations |
| Specs/options, NHTSA + IIHS safety ratings, market valuation | Report segment analytics — it reports one VIN's history |
A Zilocar VIN check surfaces a car's sales-listing history — past and current listings, prior asking prices, mileage at each listing, and days-on-market — plus ownership, odometer, accident, and salvage/junk-auction records, recall presence, specs, safety ratings, and a market-valuation reference point. Use it alongside NHTSA's free recall tool to judge whether today's higher quote is a genuine market move or a relist. It does not confirm recall remedy, track investigations, or show the legal title brand — check those with NHTSA and the dealer.
