Mid-October’s Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index (MUVVI) came in at 203.6, down 3.4% from September’s 207.0. That marks the first clear month-over-month slide since early summer — confirming that wholesale values are easing but still sitting ~2% above last year. For dealers, that dip is translating into a new kind of hesitation — not from sellers, but from EV buyers. The question now isn’t “What discount do I get?” It’s “How do I know this battery still has life left?” and “What does ownership look like after incentives?”
Used EV pricing has officially entered its realignment phase. SRPs are flat, but VDPs have softened 8–10% since October’s first week — an early signal that interest is high, confidence isn’t.
Manheim’s data tells us the floor is settling faster for EVs than for gas units. Margin protection now depends less on wholesale cost control and more on how well you communicate ownership value. The EV buyer isn’t running from price — they’re running from uncertainty. Battery reliability, charger access, and resale risk are the new closing lines.
One of the most effective ways to build trust with EV buyers is battery transparency. Leading dealers now include battery-health data right in their listings:
To make this easier, use our dealership-ready checklist: Used EV Battery Health Checklist for Dealers (PDF). When buyers see transparency, they see value — and that’s what converts curiosity into confidence.
If Manheim’s downward trend holds through November, expect wholesale pressure to intensify on non-certified EVs. Battery confidence will be the new scarcity index — and the dealers who quantify it will own the conversation.
Black Book’s parallel data supports this: EV wholesale values slid ~1.1% in late October, outpacing the overall 0.84% decline. The market’s sending a clear message — tell the story of why your EV still earns its price tag.
Car Dealership Guy recently highlighted that more than 300,000 off-lease EVs are set to hit the market in 2026 — a 200%+ increase versus this year. That wave will test every dealer’s ability to separate confidence from commodity. As off-lease Teslas, Bolts, and ID.4s re-enter the market, the differentiator won’t be price — it’ll be battery trust and ownership transparency.
EV momentum is shifting from novelty to narrative. With a record off-lease wave coming in 2026, the winning stores won’t be the ones discounting faster — they’ll be the ones communicating better. Price gets attention. Confidence gets the click. And right now, confidence is the currency.
What’s actually moving your used EVs right now — discount, battery story, or charger bundle? Drop your notes in the comments. I’ll compare patterns across stores in a follow-up post.