EVs end the year topping December's rankings as Kia Niro takes gold as fastest selling used car
22nd October 2025, London – The latest data from Autotrader, the UK’s largest automotive platform, rounds off the year with final rankings in December. The all-electric Kia Niro (3-5 years) is currently the UK’s fastest-selling used car for the second consecutive month, taking on average just 15 days to leave retailers’ forecourts. It is more than twice as fast as the current December average for used cars, which stands at 34 days. This is consistent with the usual seasonal slowdown; last year, used cars also took an average of 34 days to sell during this period.
Electric has maintained its top position as the fastest selling fuel type for the third consecutive month, displaying a strong end to the year. On average EVs have been selling within 27 days so far this December, four days faster than the same month last year, underpinning the strong consumer appetite for electric vehicles (EVs). The Niro is joined by a further five electric cars on this month’s list of fastest sellers, including the Nissan Leaf (electric, 3-5 years) and the Tesla Model Y (electric, 3-5 years) in second and third respectively.
It's notable that the ‘middle aged’ market, 3-5 years, is dominating the top 10, making up 80% of the rankings. It is expected that this age group will experience the most significant supply constraints in 2025, primarily due to the decrease in new car sales resulting from the pandemic. These used cars are the fastest selling age group this month, matched only by the 5–10-year-olds, both cohorts selling in 32 days on average. The desirability of these maturing vehicles can be seen even further in the electric market where EVs aged 3-5years are flying off the forecourts in just 22 days this December – almost two weeks faster than the overall average.
Not only are the top five hottest used cars this month electric, eight of the top 10 are alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFV). This strong showing highlights the growing popularity of AFVs and the broader shift towards alternative fuels in the UK’s automotive market.
EVs have ended the year firmly in the fast lane. It's clear in the data that electric vehicles, particularly ‘middle-aged’ models, are hitting a sweet spot - giving drivers affordable and clean motoring as well as retailers a path to profit.”
“Looking ahead to 2026, the winners will be those who stay closest to the data and leverage the latest market intelligence. With supply of 5–7-year-old cars set to tighten next year, retailers who adapt and diversify their forecourts will be well positioned to make the most of a changing market.”
Whilst fastest selling data is based on past data, Autotrader retailer partners can access expected days to sell data for in and out of stock vehicles via Retail Check in Portal or through third party systems integrated through Autotrader Connect.
Fastest-selling used cars in December (up to 19th December)
Slowest selling used cars in December (up to 19th December)
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