EV Used Cars: The Data Advantage Dealers Aren’t Using Yet

If you scroll through the news today, most of the EV noise is about OEM incentives, bans, and policy. But one of the most interesting moves is happening quietly on the used side of the market.

In the UK, mfldirect — part of Motability Operations and the country’s largest single source supplier of used cars — is opening up its EV data to retailers. It’s a glimpse into the kind of insight we’ll all need if we want to stock, price, and retail used EVs with confidence.

Who are MF Direct and Motability Operations?

Motability Operations runs the UK’s Motability Scheme, managing one of the country’s largest vehicle fleets and remarketing over 250,000 vehicles a year back into the trade. Their online remarketing channel, mfldirect, is a trade-to-trade platform that sells de-fleeted vehicles directly to dealers, with around 80% of volume sold online and annual turnover in the billions. 

Because these vehicles return from structured leases, Motability and mfldirect have:

• Massive scale — hundreds of thousands of vehicles flowing back each year.
• Clean provenance and detailed condition histories.
• One of the UK’s biggest used EV pools, tracked from new through to resale.

That scale means their data isn’t just interesting — it’s predictive.

What MFldirect Is Doing with EV Data

In partnership with Automotive Management, mfldirect is hosting a data-led webinar called “From Forecourt to Forecast: What EV data is really telling us”, positioned as a deep dive into how used-EV demand is shifting on the ground. 

They’re drawing on:

• One of the UK’s largest EV fleets.
• Hundreds of thousands of annual transactions.
• Insight from the Motability Scheme EV Transition Tracker (how real customers think about EVs).

The focus isn’t theory — it’s real buyer behaviour: which EVs convert faster, where barriers still block deals, and what dealer actions actually move metal, not just impressions.

Battery Health Guarantees: A Confidence Hack for Used EVs

Motability Operations has also launched a policy guaranteeing 90% battery health or better on its used EVs. If a dealer tests a car and it falls below the threshold, they can return it at no cost. In the trial, that guarantee drove a 25% increase in EV searches from dealers on the mfldirect platform and brought in stores that had never bought an EV before. 

In other words, clear data plus a simple policy unlocked dealer confidence.

What This Means for US Used-Car Dealers

Most US dealers don’t have Motability-scale data or a captive EV fleet. But the playbook they’re using is absolutely transferable.

Here’s what I’d borrow from the mfldirect approach and apply to a US used-car department today:

1. Treat EVs as Their Own Segment, Not an Afterthought

• Build a separate EV bucket in your used inventory — with its own turn goals, pricing rules, and exit triggers.
• Track EV SRP/VDP performance against ICE, not just lumped together in “used.”
• Watch how often EVs show up in search filters versus how often they make it to leads and deals.

2. Measure the Right EV-Specific Data

Instead of just “price and miles,” track:

• Battery age & warranty window: how much term is left on factory coverage?
• Range vs. real-world use: Is your copy explaining how this EV fits a daily drive?
• Time-from-click-to-lead: Do EV shoppers stall at the VDP more than ICE shoppers?

Even if you don’t have Motability’s Transition Tracker, you can still build your own micro-dataset from CRM, lead source, and website behaviour.

3. Use Transparency to Overcome EV Hesitation

Motability’s research shows battery life worry is one of the main reasons drivers hesitate on EVs.  If an OEM-level player needs a 90% guarantee to build confidence, it’s a good signal for what retail buyers are thinking on your lot.

That means your EV merchandising should include:

• Simple language about battery health checks (even if you’re using third-party reports).
• Plain-English explanations of charging options and estimated monthly fuel savings.
• Side-by-side payment examples vs. a comparable ICE vehicle.

Build Your Own Used-EV Playbook in 5 Steps

You don’t need a UK-sized fleet to start running a sharper EV game. Here’s a simple framework you can implement this month:

1. Tag your EVs properly in your DMS and website. Make it easy to pull EV-only reports for SRP, VDP, and turn.
2. Pick 3–5 EV models as “signal vehicles.” Watch them closely for days to turn, lead quality, and gross.
3. Create standard EV copy blocks. Use AI (like the AI Copy Advantage) to build consistent messaging around range, charging, and total cost.
4. Introduce an EV reassurance offer. Even if you can’t guarantee battery health to 90%, you can offer a simple battery check, home charger consult, or extended test drive.
5. Review EV performance weekly. Treat EVs like a separate profit center, not a random subset of used inventory.

The Bigger Picture: Data Is Your Real EV Advantage

mfldirect’s decision to share EV data with retailers highlights that the top used-car dealers won’t just be “EV-friendly” — they’ll also be data savvy.

EVs bring new risks: depreciation curves, battery confidence, and limited buyer awareness. But they also bring new opportunities for dealers who are willing to measure more than book value and miles.

If you can combine:

• Local-market demand signals,
• Clear EV-specific merchandising, and
• A simple confidence booster (battery checks, test-drive programs, etc.),

You’ll be ahead of the stores still treating EVs like weird trade-ins and hoping they work out.

Sources

• Cox Automotive Market Insights – Used-Vehicle Indexes & EV Retail Trends
• Manheim Consulting – Used-Vehicle Value Index, Days’ Supply, and Auction Trends
• EVAdoption – U.S. EV Sales, Market Share, and Adoption Forecasts
• Edmunds Industry Data – EV Pricing, ATPs, and Shopper Insights
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Consumer Price Index & Auto-related Inflation
• Reuters Automotive – Global EV Production & OEM Strategy Reporting
• InsideEVs – Battery Health Studies, Range Retention Data, and Used-EV Market Reports
• Kelley Blue Book / KBB Insights – EV Pricing, Retail ATPs, and Consumer Confidence Data

What Are You Seeing in Your Market?

I’m curious:

• Are EVs helping your used-car gross, or are they a headache right now?
• Have you changed how you price, stock, or describe EVs in the last 6–12 months?

Drop a comment or send me a note with what you’re seeing. I’ll keep bringing you real-world insights like this so we can build a better EV used-car playbook together.