Push for Mandatory Battery Certificates
Ministers are facing renewed calls to make independent battery health assessments compulsory for used electric vehicles (EVs). Electrifying.com, New AutoMotive and BatteryIQ have jointly urged the government to introduce the certificates, arguing they would reassure buyers and help remove a major barrier to EV adoption.
“The real problem is not battery health itself, but the lack of clear, independent information available when a vehicle is sold,” the organisations said.
An industry source suggested that battery health certificates, which cost from around £30, could be integrated into the MOT process, since EVs require fewer checks than petrol or diesel cars.
Industry Voices
Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said the current absence of mandatory battery checks means consumers are being asked to make “one of the biggest purchases of their lives without one of the most important pieces of information”.
“Experts can keep telling car buyers they have nothing to worry about with EV batteries, but our research shows that message simply isn’t landing,” she added. “It’s not enough to dismiss the concerns about battery life – we need to address them.”
Ben Nelmes, chief executive of New AutoMotive, acknowledged that government policy has done “a good job” creating a strong supply of second-hand EVs, but said “the challenge now is stimulating demand”. He described battery health certificates as “a practical, proportionate reform that would strengthen consumer confidence without requiring expensive subsidy schemes”.
Nick Bailey, founder of BatteryIQ, remarked that battery health is “probably the single biggest unanswered question for used EV buyers, yet it’s also one of the easiest things to measure accurately”.
A Tesla spokesperson attributed “demand for confidence in battery health” as a key reason why its Model 3 and Model Y were the quickest cars to leave UK dealer forecourts in July.
Market Trends
Recent figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that used EV sales rose by 67% to 110,761 units in the three months to the end of June compared with the same period last year. Fuel price hikes caused by the Middle East conflict partly drove this increase.
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association said the number of salary sacrifice agreements for used EVs was nearly six times higher over the past year than during the previous 12 months.
Government Position
A Department for Transport spokesperson said EV batteries already come with long-term protection, including an eight-year or 100,000-mile warranty required by the ZEV mandate. The spokesperson added that the government is working to introduce new rules to provide clearer and more consistent battery health information.
Political Context
Separately, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has been urged to look at the used car market as a way to steer the UK towards Labour’s net zero goals. The call comes after the Department for Transport launched a consultation on whether to cut the EV ZEV Mandate sales targets from 80% to 50%.
Charlie Harvey, Motoring Expert at Cazoo, stressed that UK motorists are “overlooking” used electric cars despite them being much more affordable than brand new vehicles. Cazoo data shows that over half (56%) of car buyers say the ZEV Mandate has no bearing on whether they would consider an electric car.
Harvey said: “One area that deserves more attention is the used EV market. More than half (53%) of people considering an EV are only looking at brand-new models, often overlooking used electric cars that could make the switch far more affordable.”
He also noted that the UK does not have a standard battery health certification system, with buyers often relying on third-party reports before finalising a sale. According to Cazoo, battery replacement costs are a concern for 39% of UK motorists, while 38% of those polled were worried about public charging access, with many road users not having access to off-street parking plugs.
Harvey concluded: “Building confidence in EVs through innovations like longer battery health and manufacturer warranty cover could do as much for adoption as any change to the mandate.”