Sell Your Electric Vehicle for Top Dollar
Get more for your electric vehicle when you sell directly to its new owner. PrivateAuto makes it easy to sell your electric car on your terms and get paid.
Get started by entering your vehicle’s VIN.
Get started by entering your vehicle’s VIN.
Steps for Selling Your Used Electric Car on PrivateAuto
You’ll love how PrivateAuto makes selling your used electric car hassle-free. Here’s the process:
2. Register and get verified
To make PrivateAuto a safe place for everyone, we require email, phone, and driver’s license verification, including facial recognition.
Get started here.
Get started here.
3. List your vehicle
Create your PrivateAuto listing with our step-by-step guide, in just a few minutes.
Bonus: we include a window brochure with a QR code scannable to your listing.
Bonus: we include a window brochure with a QR code scannable to your listing.
4. Set your terms
It’s your car, so you drive the deal! You can control when, where, and who you meet. Decide whether to accept only ID-verified buyers or buyers with verified funds. Don’t waste your time with electric car buyers who aren’t verified to your preference.
5. Vet incoming offers
Manage offers in one place with the ability to accept, reject, or counter offers within the app.
Listing on multiple sites? Filter all communications through PrivateAuto by sharing your listing link on all platforms. Your info is protected—no more giving out your phone number or email address. It all happens in our app.
Listing on multiple sites? Filter all communications through PrivateAuto by sharing your listing link on all platforms. Your info is protected—no more giving out your phone number or email address. It all happens in our app.
6. Choose the perfect buyer
When you find an offer you like, accept it and proceed to the next step with that buyer.
7. Schedule a test drive
The buyer will want to test drive your car. No more awkward back-and-forth texts. You never have to give out your phone number—use our handy scheduling feature to coordinate a time and place for a test drive. (Oh, and you’ll be able to finalize the transaction instantly at the test drive location, FYI.)
8. E-sign documents
After the buyer is satisfied with your car and the two of you have agreed on a purchase price, you can easily e-sign the bill of sale within our app, from your phone. With our shared documents feature you can easily locate the paperwork needed after the sale.
9. Get paid, instantaneously
Before we created PrivateAuto Pay, there weren’t any great ways to receive money from the buyer. Cash is inconvenient and risky, PayPal has fees, Venmo and Zelle have low transfer limits, and checks and wire transfers are slow and cumbersome.
We got tired of the limitations associated with existing payment methods, so we created PrivateAuto Pay. It facilitates instant money transfers up to $1M, fee-free.
We got tired of the limitations associated with existing payment methods, so we created PrivateAuto Pay. It facilitates instant money transfers up to $1M, fee-free.
10. Transfer title
It’s time to sign the title over to the car’s new owner. Our guide to private-sale title transfers will help you with this crucial step.
11. Cancel insurance
You don’t want to pay for insurance on a car you no longer own, so be sure to remove the vehicle from your insurance plan, or transfer the policy to another vehicle.
12. Take off your license plates
Unless you’re in California or Minnesota, remove the license plates from the vehicle you’re selling.
Is There A Market For Used Electric Vehicles?
If you’re looking to sell your electric car, we have good news and bad news: the used EV market is growing, but used EV prices have fallen considerably over the past 12+ months:
•
As EVs become more popular, the number of potential buyers expands.
•
According to Future Market Insights, the global used EV market is projected to grow from USD 17,890.5 million in 2023 to USD 40,078.9 million by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% from 2023 to 2033.
•
•
Prices are dropping for used cars, in particular for EVs. A study by iSeeCars.com found that used EV prices have fallen more than 33% compared to the previous year.
How to Determine the Resale Value of an Electric Car?
When it’s time to sell your used car, one of your first steps is to assign a value or listing price. You don’t want it to be too low or too high. Too low, and you’re throwing money away. Too high, and it won’t sell.
Kelley Blue Book and NADA can give you a “fair market value” range for your vehicle based on condition, mileage, make, and model. Within that range, it’s up to you whether to price your EV lower or higher.
Here are some factors to consider when setting a listing price for your electric car:
1. Battery range: a longer range between charges makes your car worth more.
2. Electric car battery longevity: battery health makes your car worth more If the battery's charge-holding capacity drops significantly, it will reduce the car's range and suitability for long-distance driving.
3. Depreciation: electric cars depreciate faster than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For example, three-year-old EVs hold 63% of their value compared to 66% for ICE vehicles, and at five years, EVs hold 37% of their initial value, while ICE vehicles hold 46%.
4. Speed-to-sale: if you want to sell your car fast, ask less for it. If you’re not in a hurry, ask more for it. You can always lower your price if it doesn’t attract buyers.
If you’d like a sense of what your car is worth, use our free car value calculator!
Kelley Blue Book and NADA can give you a “fair market value” range for your vehicle based on condition, mileage, make, and model. Within that range, it’s up to you whether to price your EV lower or higher.
Here are some factors to consider when setting a listing price for your electric car:
1. Battery range: a longer range between charges makes your car worth more.
2. Electric car battery longevity: battery health makes your car worth more If the battery's charge-holding capacity drops significantly, it will reduce the car's range and suitability for long-distance driving.
3. Depreciation: electric cars depreciate faster than internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. For example, three-year-old EVs hold 63% of their value compared to 66% for ICE vehicles, and at five years, EVs hold 37% of their initial value, while ICE vehicles hold 46%.
4. Speed-to-sale: if you want to sell your car fast, ask less for it. If you’re not in a hurry, ask more for it. You can always lower your price if it doesn’t attract buyers.
If you’d like a sense of what your car is worth, use our free car value calculator!
Which Electric Car has the Best Resale Value?
As with other vehicle classes, some EVs hold their value better than others. Here are some of the electric cars that maintain strong resale values in the market:
•
Tesla Model 3
•
Chevrolet Bolt EUV
•
Nissan Leaf
•
Hyundai Kona Electric
•
Kia Niro EV
•
Ford Mustang Mach-E
•
Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD SEL
Where is the Best Place to Sell My Electric Car?
If you want to sell your electric car, you can get way more for it by going directly to a private buyer than you could with a dealer trade-in.
Dealers have to buy low so they can mark your car up and make a profit. When you sell directly to the end user, you capture that extra profit.
PrivateAuto gives you dealer-like convenience in the palm of your hand, so you can sell your EV on your terms.
Even better, you can list your car on other marketplaces. If you find a buyer, you can use DealNow to invite the buyer to a fast-tracked dealflow that gives you all the advantages of our transactional infrastructure.
Create your listing on PrivateAuto now and see how easy selling your EV can be.
Dealers have to buy low so they can mark your car up and make a profit. When you sell directly to the end user, you capture that extra profit.
PrivateAuto gives you dealer-like convenience in the palm of your hand, so you can sell your EV on your terms.
•
Get paid instantly, up to $1M
•
Never give out your contact info
•
Steer clear of car scams with identity verification
•
Act as your own escrow service with our escrow-like safeguard
Even better, you can list your car on other marketplaces. If you find a buyer, you can use DealNow to invite the buyer to a fast-tracked dealflow that gives you all the advantages of our transactional infrastructure.
Create your listing on PrivateAuto now and see how easy selling your EV can be.
How to Sell My Electric Car in Each State?
Different states have different documentation requirements for private-party car sales—for EVs as well as for gasoline-powered vehicles. You have to pay attention to issues such as:
That’s why we’ve created a guide to selling your car in each state. Click on your state below to learn more.
•
Whether to leave license plates on the car or remove them
•
Whether a bill of sale is required or not
•
Whether an inspection is required or not
That’s why we’ve created a guide to selling your car in each state. Click on your state below to learn more.
Where Can I Sell My Car for Cash Today?
If you want to sell your car fast, you can list it across multiple marketplaces to get maximum exposure.
Fortunately, PrivateAuto lets you manage multiple listings through the PrivateAuto app. And DealNow lets you get the deal done, even if you listed your car on another site such as Craigslist or eBay Motors.
Start your sale anywhere; finish it and get paid with DealNow.
Simply create a deal room in DealNow, invite your buyer, and enjoy DealNow’s transactional workflow. It give you secure messaging, test drive scheduling, electronic docu-signing, and instant payments.
Want to buy a car instead? Kickstart your buying process now!
Fortunately, PrivateAuto lets you manage multiple listings through the PrivateAuto app. And DealNow lets you get the deal done, even if you listed your car on another site such as Craigslist or eBay Motors.
Start your sale anywhere; finish it and get paid with DealNow.
Simply create a deal room in DealNow, invite your buyer, and enjoy DealNow’s transactional workflow. It give you secure messaging, test drive scheduling, electronic docu-signing, and instant payments.
Want to buy a car instead? Kickstart your buying process now!
Electric Vehicle FAQ
What if my battery warranty hasn't expired before I sell the car?
If your battery warranty hasn't expired before you sell the car, it can be a significant advantage for the buyer. Battery warranties typically cover the replacement or repair of the battery if it fails during the warranty period.
Who buys an EV?
Will an EV last 20 years?
How long do EV engines last?
How much does it cost to charge an electric vehicle?
What are some EV future trends?
Is selling your car online a good idea?
Is the electric vehicle market large?
What are the most popular EV brands?
Should I offer a vehicle history report when selling an electric car?
Jacob Andra
Contributing Author
Jacob Andra is an entrepreneur, author, and technology expert living in Salt Lake City, Utah. As a stakeholder in PrivateAuto, Jacob is passionate about how our technology is bringing peer-to-peer car sales into the 21st century. When he's not working, Jacob can be found playing pickleball, climbing mountains, or spending time with his family.