Residual values looking firm after summer

Cazana says that in an encouraging shift for corporate fleets managing electric vehicle rollouts, used EVs at the three-year mark are experiencing sustained retail value recovery. EVs advanced by about £130 at three years old in August and EV values have now risen by around 7.5% (over £1,600) in the last five months, driven by strong consumer demand as real-world retail pricing aligns with buyer expectations. Petrol and hybrids maintained steady monthly gains of 0.5% and 0.4% respectively while diesels continued to slide, dropping 0.7% month-on-month. Retailers are now treating petrol, hybrid, and electric powertrains with near-identical pricing confidence, while diesel continues to soften. Demonstrating the strong appetite for electrified ex-fleet inventory, the fastest-selling vehicles in August were dominated by plug-in hybrid powertrains: the Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid, Ford Kuga Vignale Hybrid, and Volvo XC90 PHEV. Hatchbacks saw the largest retail price increase in August, jumping 1.6%, while saloons grew slightly by 1.0%; MPVs, reversed recent downward trends with a 0.2% increase and SUVs dropped slightly by 0.3%, indicating that retailers are actively seeking non-SUV inventory to diversify forecourts.