Three UK electric vehicle organisations have called on the government to introduce mandatory battery State of Health (SoH) certificates for all dealer-sold used EVs, arguing that poor information, not battery degradation, is holding back the used market.
UK – Used EV market key to mass adoption, but buyer confidence lags
Electrifying.com, New AutoMotive and BatteryIQ want used EV buyers to receive the same transparency on battery condition that an MOT certificate, service history or mileage record already provides for petrol and diesel cars. Under their proposal, battery health data would sit alongside these existing checks whenever a used EV is advertised or sold, with a phased rollout developed alongside manufacturers, retailers and battery testing specialists.
Perception versus reality
A survey of more than 13,000 UK drivers by Electrifying.com and The AA found only three percent felt confident buying a used EV, while 38 percent said an independently verified battery certificate would change that. Independent testing of more than 8,000 vehicles put the picture in a different light: average battery State of Health came in above 95 percent, with many cars retaining more than 90 percent of original capacity past 100,000 miles.
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Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: "Experts can keep telling car buyers they have nothing to worry about, but our research shows that message simply isn't landing." She added that a standardised certificate "feels like a genuine no-brainer" given the used market's importance to the UK's transition to electric cars. Nick Bailey, founder of BatteryIQ, said: "We already have the technology. We already know how to assess battery condition consistently. The missing piece is making that information available as standard." He added that a state of health certificate "should become as routine as an MOT certificate."
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The call echoes moves already under way in the EU, where the Battery Regulation (2023/1542) introduces a battery passport and wider transparency requirements across a battery's lifecycle. By contrast, the UK's Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate addresses supply of new vehicles, with no equivalent mechanism for used-market confidence. (TF)
