Let’s be real: most dealers aren’t anti-EV. They’re anti-uncertainty.
Used EVs make up just 2% of used car sales, while EVs now account for 9% of new sales, and rising fast. So what’s holding dealers back from embracing EV trade-ins and sales?
It’s not demand.
It’s not even pricing.
It’s the lack of transparency.
Traditional wholesale platforms still treat EVs like ICE vehicles. But an electric vehicle isn’t just a gas car with a battery, it’s a fundamentally different asset.
What drives EV value?
- Battery health
- Range and degradation
- Software and feature upgrades
- Charging network access
- Tax credit qualification
None of that is surfaced in the average vehicle listing. So, dealers are left guessing, or worse, assuming. That’s where the risk creeps in.
And when risk goes up, offers go down.
Deals stall.
Margins shrink.
And great EVs get turned away at trade-in.
This isn’t a “training” problem. It’s a system problem.
The legacy wholesale auction model wasn’t built for EVs. And that’s okay, until it isn’t. Over the next five years, it is expected that approximately 10 million EVs will enter the used market through trade-ins or off-lease returns.
Dealers don’t need to become EV experts overnight. They just need a wholesale solution that finally treats EVs for what they are. Because when you have the data, the risk goes down. And when the risk goes down, the opportunity goes up.