How Fast Do Used Electric Cars Lose Value?

Cost example updated November 4, 2026

The answer up front

iSeeCars analyzed more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold from March 2025 to February 2026. Electric cars lost 57.2% of their value over five years, the worst result of any major segment. The market as a whole lost 41.8%. In dollars, the average EV lost $28,435 against $16,571 for the average car, a gap of $11,864. Put the other way, the average five-year-old EV keeps 42.8% of its original price, while the average car keeps 58.2%.

The rest of this page separates that average. The trend over time shows whether the curve is getting better or worse. The segment table shows how EVs sit against SUVs, hybrids, and trucks. The model table shows the 8.5 point spread between the best and worst EVs. And the drivers section separates price cuts, expired credits, battery health, and starting price, with a number wherever a published number exists.

The trend over time: barely better in 2026

iSeeCars runs this study every year, and the EV line has moved in a clear pattern. In 2019, five-year-old EVs had lost 67.1%. By 2023 that had improved to 49.1%, during the pandemic-era used price spike. In 2025 it jumped back to 58.8%, and in 2026 it eased only to 57.2%, an improvement of 1.6 points. Over the same year the market as a whole improved 3.8 points, from 45.6% to 41.8%. Every major segment kept more value in 2026 than in 2025, and iSeeCars notes that EV depreciation has barely improved. The EV line is not falling back toward the market. It is holding roughly where it was.

• 2019: EVs 67.1% lost, market 49.6% lost
• 2023: EVs 49.1% lost, market 38.8% lost
• 2025: EVs 58.8% lost, market 45.6% lost
• 2026: EVs 57.2% lost, market 41.8% lost

The gap between EVs and the market was 17.5 points in 2019 (67.1 minus 49.6), 10.3 points in 2023 (49.1 minus 38.8), 13.2 points in 2025 (58.8 minus 45.6), and 15.4 points in 2026 (57.2 minus 41.8). The gap narrowed during the spike years and widened again after them.

EVs against every other segment

In the 2026 study, EVs lose more than every other major segment. SUVs lose 44.9%, the market as a whole loses 41.8%, hybrids lose 35.4%, and trucks lose 34.2%.

• Electric vehicles: 57.2% lost, 42.8% kept
• SUVs: 44.9% lost, 55.1% kept
• All vehicles: 41.8% lost, 58.2% kept
• Hybrids: 35.4% lost, 64.6% kept
• Trucks: 34.2% lost, 65.8% kept

The gaps: EVs sit 12.3 points above SUVs, 15.4 points above the market average, 21.8 points above hybrids, and 23.0 points above trucks. Hybrids are the mirror image of EVs. The Prius, a hybrid, sits in the study's 25 lowest depreciation list at 32.1% lost, which is 25.1 points below the EV average. See what a Toyota Prius really costs over 5 years.

The model table: 54.6% to 63.1%

iSeeCars ranks ten EVs. Three lose less than the EV average. The other seven lose more. The spread from best to worst is 8.5 points, and the dollar spread is $43,473, because starting prices differ so much. The Nissan LEAF leads on percentage lost at 63.1%, but its dollar loss is $17,743, the smallest in the table, because it started cheapest. The Tesla Model X loses $61,216, the largest dollar loss, at 61.2%.

• Tesla Model 3: 54.6% lost, $20,213, keeps 45.4%
• Porsche Taycan: 54.7% lost, $54,403, keeps 45.3%
• Hyundai Kona Electric: 56.5% lost, $18,581, keeps 43.5%
• Kia Niro EV: 57.3% lost, $22,742, keeps 42.7%
• Tesla Model Y: 57.8% lost, $26,020, keeps 42.2%
• Ford Mustang Mach-E: 60.8% lost, $22,976, keeps 39.2%
• Tesla Model X: 61.2% lost, $61,216, keeps 38.8%
• Tesla Model S: 62.0% lost, $58,907, keeps 38.0%
• Volkswagen ID.4: 62.1% lost, $28,010, keeps 37.9%
• Nissan LEAF: 63.1% lost, $17,743, keeps 36.9%

Five EVs sit in the study's top ten highest depreciating vehicles, and eight sit in the top 25. No fully electric car sits in the study's 25 lowest depreciation list. iSeeCars puts the pattern in one sentence: electric vehicles consistently cost more than the equivalent gasoline or hybrid model, and that high upfront cost comes back on the used market, where buyers are not willing to pay the premium.

The worked math: what 57.2% means in dollars

Take a $50,000 new EV at the segment average. A 57.2% loss is $28,600, leaving $21,400 after five years. The same $50,000 spent on a gas SUV at the SUV average of 44.9% loses $22,450, leaving $27,550. The EV loses $6,150 more over the same five years.

Formula

The study: iSeeCars analyzed more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold from March 2025 to February 2026. Electric cars lost 57.2% of their value over five years, the worst result of any major segment. The market as a whole lost 41.8%. In dollars, the average EV lost $28,435 against $16,571 for the average car, a gap of $11,864. Put the other way, the average five-year-old EV keeps 42.8% of its original price, while the average car keeps 58.2%. The gap between EVs and the market is 15.4 points.

The worked math, what 57.2% means in dollars. Take a $50,000 new EV at the segment average. A 57.2% loss is $28,600, leaving $21,400 after five years. The same $50,000 spent on a gas SUV at the SUV average of 44.9% loses $22,450, leaving $27,550. The EV loses $6,150 more over the same five years. The Model 3 shows how the study two figures fit together. Its average dollar loss is $20,213 at 54.6%. Dividing $20,213 by 0.546 gives an original price of about $37,020, and $37,020 minus $20,213 leaves $16,807, which is 45.4% kept. The LEAF works the same way: $17,743 at 63.1% implies an original price of about $28,119, leaving $10,376, which is 36.9% kept. Percentages compare cars. Dollars compare bank accounts. Both belong on the page.

The trend and the segments. In 2019, five-year-old EVs had lost 67.1%. By 2023 that had improved to 49.1%, during the pandemic-era used price spike. In 2025 it jumped back to 58.8%, and in 2026 it eased only to 57.2%, an improvement of 1.6 points. Over the same year the market as a whole improved 3.8 points, from 45.6% to 41.8%. In the 2026 study, EVs lose more than every other major segment: SUVs lose 44.9%, the market as a whole loses 41.8%, hybrids lose 35.4%, and trucks lose 34.2%. The gaps: EVs sit 12.3 points above SUVs, 15.4 points above the market average, 21.8 points above hybrids, and 23.0 points above trucks. The model table spans 54.6% to 63.1%, an 8.5 point spread, and the dollar spread is $43,473, because starting prices differ so much. The Nissan LEAF leads on percentage lost at 63.1%, but its dollar loss is $17,743, the smallest in the table, because it started cheapest. The Tesla Model X loses $61,216, the largest dollar loss, at 61.2%. What moves the number: new EV price cuts, expired tax credits, battery age and health, and starting price. Geotab 2026 battery health study, covering more than 22,700 electric vehicles across 21 makes and models, found an average degradation rate of 2.3% of capacity per year, with heavy DC fast charging roughly doubling that rate to about 3.0%. Capacity loss is not value loss, and this page does not convert one into the other.

The Model 3 shows how the study's two figures fit together. Its average dollar loss is $20,213 at 54.6%. Dividing $20,213 by 0.546 gives an original price of about $37,020, and $37,020 minus $20,213 leaves $16,807, which is 45.4% kept. The LEAF works the same way: $17,743 at 63.1% implies an original price of about $28,119, leaving $10,376, which is 36.9% kept. Percentages compare cars. Dollars compare bank accounts. Both belong on the page.

What moves the number

New EV price cuts. Tesla's 2023 price cuts caused an unusual secondary depreciation event that rippled through the entire EV market as other manufacturers followed, according to Tenet's May 2026 depreciation guide. A lower new price resets what a used one can ask, because the used car competes with the new one on the same lot.

Expired tax credits. The federal previously owned clean vehicle credit, worth 30% of the sale price up to $4,000 for qualifying used EVs, ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, under Public Law 119-21, along with the new vehicle credit. The credit had supported used EV prices directly at the point of sale for qualifying cars under $25,000.

Battery age and health. Geotab's 2026 battery health study, covering more than 22,700 electric vehicles across 21 makes and models, found an average degradation rate of 2.3% of capacity per year, with heavy DC fast charging roughly doubling that rate to about 3.0%. Capacity loss is not value loss, and this page does not convert one into the other. It is the number buyers ask about, because range is the figure a used EV shopper weighs most heavily after price. For what fast charging costs on a road trip against home charging, see what EV road trip charging really costs.

Starting price. iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer states the mechanism plainly: electric vehicles consistently cost more than the equivalent gasoline or hybrid model, and that high upfront cost comes back on the used market, where buyers are not willing to pay the premium. A $60,000 car that loses 60% sheds $36,000. A $30,000 car that loses 60% sheds $18,000. The percentage is the same. The dollars are not.

A possible turn. Wholesale data points the other way for recent months. Cox Automotive's Manheim data from May 2026 shows three-year-old EV wholesale values running more than seven points above non-EVs on its index, and its second quarter 2026 call notes the EV index up 12% year over year in June against 1.7% for non-EVs. Index movements are not depreciation rates, and one strong quarter does not erase a 57.2% five-year figure. It is the first published sign that the curve may be flattening from the wholesale side.

What these numbers do not settle

Honest gaps, stated here rather than settled quietly. First, the three-year average: no single three-year segment average is published here, because sources mix markets and methods. United Kingdom figures put three-year EV losses around 38 to 42%, while United States model figures vary widely, so this page sticks to the five-year study rather than blending incompatible numbers. Second, the study looks backward: it covers 2021 cars sold from March 2025 to February 2026, so it describes those cars, not a forecast for a new EV bought today. Third, model figures are averages: mileage, condition, region, and trim move any one car away from its model's line. Fourth, the credit effect: the expired credits are a published direction, not a quantified amount, and no figure here claims otherwise. Fifth, battery degradation is capacity, not value: Geotab's 2.3% a year describes the pack, and this page does not turn it into a price. Sixth, the buying side: battery inspection, charging costs, insurance, and which used EVs to target live on the used EV guide, and this page links to it rather than repeating it.

Sources: iSeeCars cars that hold their value study, March 2026, more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026; Geotab EV battery health study, 2026, more than 22,700 vehicles; Cox Automotive Manheim May 2026 mid-month market insights and second quarter 2026 used vehicle value index call; Tenet Energy EV depreciation guide, May 2026; Internal Revenue Code section 25E and Public Law 119-21 for the used credit end date. Figures checked November 7, 2026.

Calculation transparency

Scope. Five-year depreciation for electric cars from the iSeeCars March 2026 study: the segment table, the year by year trend, the ten-model table, and what moves the number, all from published data. A backward-looking study of 2021 cars sold March 2025 to February 2026, not a forecast for a new EV bought today.

Rules and time period. iSeeCars study of more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026; percentages are shares of original price lost over five years; dollars are average dollar losses; Geotab 2026 study of more than 22,700 vehicles across 21 makes and models; capacity loss is not value loss.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. The three-year average is not published here, because sources mix markets and methods. The study looks backward: it covers 2021 cars sold from March 2025 to February 2026, so it describes those cars, not a forecast for a new EV bought today. Model figures are averages: mileage, condition, region, and trim move any one car away from its model line. The expired credits are a published direction, not a quantified amount. Wholesale index movements are not depreciation rates, and one strong quarter does not erase a 57.2% five-year figure. Prices vary by car, shop, and city. Get a written quote for your own car before you decide.

Source links checked November 7, 2026. Figures: iSeeCars cars that hold their value study, March 2026, more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold March 2025 to February 2026; Geotab EV battery health study, 2026, more than 22,700 vehicles; Cox Automotive Manheim May 2026 mid-month market insights and second quarter 2026 used vehicle value index call; Tenet Energy EV depreciation guide, May 2026; Internal Revenue Code section 25E and Public Law 119-21 for the used credit end date. The Cox Automotive, Tenet, and tax code figures are named only, not linked. Figures checked November 7, 2026.

Primary sources: iSeeCars, cars that hold their value study; Geotab, EV battery health; Used EV bargain; Should I sell my EV; What cars hold their value best. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The share of original price a car loses over five years. On this page, the average EV loses 57.2%, or $28,435, against 41.8%, or $16,571, for the market as a whole.

Value kept. The share of original price that remains after five years. On this page, the average EV keeps 42.8% and the average car keeps 58.2%.

Segment average. The average for a whole vehicle type. On this page, EVs 57.2%, SUVs 44.9%, all vehicles 41.8%, hybrids 35.4%, trucks 34.2%.

Model table. The ten ranked EVs, from the Tesla Model 3 at 54.6% lost to the Nissan LEAF at 63.1% lost, an 8.5 point spread, with a dollar spread of $43,473 because starting prices differ so much.

Battery degradation. Capacity lost per year. Geotab 2026 found an average of 2.3% of capacity per year, with heavy DC fast charging roughly doubling that rate to about 3.0%. Capacity loss is not value loss.

Used EV credit. The federal previously owned clean vehicle credit, worth 30% of the sale price up to $4,000 for qualifying used EVs. It ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025.

Questions people actually ask

How much does an EV depreciate in 5 years?

The average electric car loses 57.2% of its value over five years, or $28,435, according to iSeeCars' 2026 study of more than 950,000 cars. The market as a whole loses 41.8%, or $16,571. The EV keeps 42.8% of its original price. The market keeps 58.2%.

Which electric cars lose the most value?

The Nissan LEAF loses the most on percentage at 63.1%, followed by the Volkswagen ID.4 at 62.1% and the Tesla Model S at 62.0%. The Tesla Model X loses the most dollars at $61,216. The Tesla Model 3 loses the least among the ten ranked EVs at 54.6%, followed by the Porsche Taycan at 54.7%.

Do EVs depreciate faster than gas cars?

Yes, by the published segment figures. EVs lose 57.2% over five years, against 44.9% for SUVs, 41.8% for the market as a whole, 35.4% for hybrids, and 34.2% for trucks. The EV gap to the market average is 15.4 points, and to hybrids it is 21.8 points.

Is EV depreciation getting better or worse?

Barely better in the latest study. EV five-year depreciation moved from 58.8% in 2025 to 57.2% in 2026, an improvement of 1.6 points, while the market as a whole improved 3.8 points. Wholesale data from Cox Automotive's Manheim index shows three-year-old EV values recently running ahead of non-EVs, which is a possible early sign of a turn, not a new depreciation rate.

What makes one used EV lose more value than another?

The model first: the ten ranked EVs span 54.6% to 63.1%. New price cuts reset used prices, as Tesla's 2023 cuts did across the market. Battery age and health matter to buyers: Geotab's 2026 study found 2.3% capacity loss per year on average. And the federal used EV credit, worth up to $4,000, ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. Starting price matters too: the same percentage on a higher price is more dollars lost.

Related: See why your car loses value so fast, the general curve behind the EV numbers.

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Related: See what cars hold their value best.