by A new market study confirms that used electric vehicles are selling faster than cars with internal combustion engines. In February, the average time to sell a used car in the United States was 53 days. At the same time, the Tesla Model X became the fastest-selling used car last month.
The General Situation in the Used Car Market
It is well known that prices for new cars have risen sharply over the past six years, but the same trend is observed in the secondary market. Prices have risen sharply, and cars now remain on dealer lots longer, partly because many owners are not looking for new cars and are holding onto their current ones. Despite this, one manufacturer seems to have been almost unaffected by the slowdown.
Fresh data from iSeeCars sheds light on this trend. Over 960,000 transactions involving used cars aged one to five years during February were analyzed. In this sample, a typical used car remained on the market for an average of 53 days before finding a buyer. A year earlier, the average in the US was only 37.7 days, meaning an increase in sales times of approximately 40 percent in just twelve months.
Interestingly, used electric vehicles are moving slightly faster than their gasoline counterparts. In February, a typical used electric car sold in 47.4 days. This figure increased compared to last year’s average of 41.8 days, but the 13.4 percent increase is moderate compared to the overall used car market.
The Trend Set by Tesla
However, there is more to these numbers than might seem at first glance. Since Tesla still constitutes the vast majority of electric vehicle sales, their typically fast resale times lower the overall market average. If Tesla is excluded from the equation, the picture changes. Without these models, a typical used electric vehicle sold in February in 57.3 days, which is 15.1 percent more than the average of 49.8 days recorded at the same time last year.
So, which models are disappearing from listings the fastest? The undisputed leader is the Tesla Model X, which takes only 22.6 days on average to sell. Remarkably, it is followed by the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV with an average of 26.9 days, and then the Tesla Cybertruck with 27.4 days.
The Fastest-Selling Used Cars
Other successful models identified by the iSeeCars study include the Mazda MX-5 Miata RF (29.3 days), Toyota GR Supra (30 days), Genesis G90 (30.4 days), Rivian R1S (30.8 days), and Toyota GR Corolla (31.1 days). Many of these cars are enthusiast-oriented, which likely helps maintain steady demand.
More mainstream Tesla models appear slightly lower in the ranking. The Model 3 ranks 13th with an average of 33.1 days on the market, while the Model Y is in 16th place with 34.9 days. However, it is worth noting that many more Model 3 and Model Y units are sold each month than, for example, the GR Supra, G90, R1S, and MX-5 Miata, so they influence the overall market picture.
The Slowest-Selling Models
The other end of the list looks quite different. Some cars wait for a buyer for months. The Volvo XC60 is the slowest model in the study, remaining on the market for an average of 170.2 days. The BMW i5 is not far behind with a figure of 153 days, followed by the Dodge Hornet (123.7 days) and the Lincoln Nautilus Hybrid (118 days).
Interestingly, hybrids and electric vehicles that are not Tesla products dominate among the slowest-selling models, once again highlighting the brand’s unique position in the market. Such data may indicate that used electric vehicle buyers prefer proven brands with developed service infrastructure, while new players or models with less widespread support networks may raise more doubts among secondary buyers. The turnover speed of cars in the secondary market is often an indicator not only of demand but also of perceived reliability and long-term ownership costs.
