As reported by SMMT last month (August 2025), 1 in 10 used car transactions were electrified, with a record level of battery electric vehicles changing hands at 68,721  indicating a growing used electric car market after a period of inaccessible purchase costs.

Delving into real-life customer data, Zuto car finance also reports a 21% increase in the number of electric vehicles they are providing car finance for YoY.

As more Brits look towards their eco-friendly alternatives, drivers will be looking for the most reliable options currently in the market. Looking into this, Zuto carried out an FOI (Freedom of Information) request to investigate scrapping figures concerning EVs between 1 January 2023 and 30 June 2025 to identify some key trends for prospective electric car owners.

So, how many EVs are being scrapped?

Data from DVLA shows that in 2023, there were 728,075 registered EVs in the UK, rising to just over 1 million (1,015,450) in 2024. As revealed within the FOI, we can see that as the volume of EVs on the road increased, so did the scrappage figures with 1.2 in every 1,000 EVs being scrapped in 2023, rising to 1.4 in every 1,000 across last year.

Whilst the figures seem fairly minute, that’s still a 17% increase YoY. As for the first half of 2025, the DVLA saw 1,005 EVs get scrapped. With an estimated 1.3 million currently on the roads, we can expect at least 2,100 (1.5%) to be scrapped by the end of the year, continuing the trend.

But how does this compare to petrol and diesel vehicles?

Approximately 2.3 million cars were scrapped between January 2023 and June 2025 – 3,250 of those were EVs. That’s just 0.14%, despite taking up approximately 4.8% of the UK car market share, meaning that to date, EVs are much less likely to be scrapped than fuel-type vehicles.

These stats are likely to change as more EVs enter the market and start to age, but we can also attribute these low rates to the lower amount of mechanical parts in comparison to petrol and diesel models, which generally result in fewer breakdowns.

Which makes and models are getting scrapped the most frequently?

For those considering purchasing an electric car – new or used – you’ll want to consider the most reliable makes and models.

Between 1 January 2023 and June 2025, the following EV car makers were scrapped the most.

At a car model-level, these were the top ten most scrapped EV cars. This data has not combined similar models with different versions, but instead is for each specific type.

The Tesla Model Y is the most popular electric car in the UK, so we would expect to see this appear in the top ten. Interestingly though, looking specifically at the volume of Teslas scrapped month to month, the month that saw the most scrapped across this 2.5 year period (March 2025, 30 scrapped) coincides with reports of Tesla vandalism.

At what age are EVs being scrapped?

Age of vehicle at time of scrapping is where it gets particularly interesting. Whilst data shows EVs to be less likely to be scrapped than fuel and diesel cars, there is another conclusion to be drawn when it comes to age.

Typically, cars are deemed ‘older’ once they pass the 10 year mark. However, when it comes to scrapping cars, the average age at the time of scrapping sits at 17 years old. As for EVs, the average age at time of scrapping was revealed as just 4 years old, a stark contrast in lifespan, with 19.4% (629) of those scrapped being done before turning 2.

The car makes that most frequently didn’t make it to their second birthday between January 2023 and June 2025.

Commenting on the growing used EV market, Lucy Sherliker, Head of Customer at Zuto car finance says:

“As the used car market continues to grow and return to a pre-pandemic state, EVs are set to continue increasing market share. As the number of used electric vehicles continues to climb, the increased affordability will help many drivers replace their petrol and diesel vehicles with electric replacements.

“That said, costs to outright buy continue to be high in the midst of the continued cost-of-living crisis, making electric car finance an accessible option for many. Many car finance providers, such as Zuto, can also bring an added peace of mind by checking the car’s background and state ahead of purchase, ideal for second hand EVs.”