Tesla Dominated The Used EV Market In 2025, But Its Lead Is Narrowing

• Teslas, barring the Cybertruck, were some of the most popular used electric vehicles of 2025.
• The Hyundai Ioniq 5 jumped nine spots to become one of the most popular used EVs of last year.
• The used EV market is poised to be even more diverse and accessible in 2026. 

The used electric vehicle market is getting more interesting by the day. As new vehicles get more expensive, budget-conscious buyers will increasingly look to the used market. And in this category, EVs are increasingly hitting the sweet spot.

After years of record new-EV sales, a wave of off-lease models is now hitting dealer lots, giving shoppers more choice, lower prices and vehicles that still offer the core EV advantages such as fewer moving parts, lower maintenance costs and no trips to the gas station.

Those dynamics were fully on display in 2025. The surge of new, reasonably priced EVs launched over the past few years has begun to appear in the used market, either coming off lease or being sold by their original owners.

According to a new report from auto research firm iSeeCars, used-EV options have now become cheaper and meaningfully more diverse over the past few years. Tesla continued to dominate the list of last year’s best-selling used EVs, though the gap is starting to narrow.

Ford and Volkswagen both gained ground, signaling that used EV shoppers are becoming more aware of non-Tesla options.

Gasoline-powered cars remain overwhelmingly popular as used cars. The top 20 best-selling used cars last year were all powered by internal combustion engines, with the Ford F-150 topping the charts. But EVs are gradually moving up the rankings. Here’s the full list of last year’s best-selling one- to five-year-old used EVs.

As the chart above shows, the Model 3 remained America’s best-selling used EV. That’s hardly surprising. Low-mileage examples routinely trade for under $20,000, and in some regions, prices can dip well below that.

In 2025, the Model 3 accounted for 19.5% of all one- to five-year-old used EV sales, with the Model Y close behind at 19.3%.

It’s easy to see why that happened: the Teslas have seamless plug-and-charge access to the country’s largest fast-charging network and offer software that remains among the best in the business. If you can look past the firm ride quality of early model-year Teslas, they make for genuinely strong used-car buys.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E ranked as America’s third-best-selling used EV last year, capturing about 5% of the used EV market. It was followed by the Volkswagen ID.4 at 3.9% and the Tesla Model S at 3.0%, rounding out the top five.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo by: Patrick George

The Mach-E feels old now, especially compared to the new crop of high-tech, software-defined EVs from Rivian, Lucid and Mercedes-Benz. But as a used EV, it’s still a great option. It offers a mature ride quality, gets access to Tesla Superchargers and offers over 300 miles of range on certain trims.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 made the biggest leap among the top ten, jumping nine spots from 17th place in 2024 to eighth last year. It remains one of the best electric crossovers on the market, and is among the fastest-charging EVs thanks to its 800-volt architecture. It was also InsideEVs Breakthrough Award nominee for 2025, ultimately taking home the Editor’s Choice award.

2026 InsideEVs Breakthrough Awards Editor’s Choice: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Photo by: Patrick George

That said, this year is poised to be even better for the used EV market. According to car research firm Edmunds, off-lease inventory will be stronger in 2026. Thousands of EV leases from 2023 end this year, which means those models will now flow into the used market, which could give buyers more flexibility.

That will especially be true for those priced out of the new-vehicle market or looking to avoid today’s higher monthly payments, which now routinely top $1,000.

So even though the federal tax credit for new and used EVs is now dead, and heavily revised fuel economy rules massively favor gasoline vehicles, rest assured, the EV market is poised to remain vibrant and full of options.

Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com