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Published: 17 Oct 2025

Used battery health pledge boosts UK dealer and driver confidence in EVs

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Used battery health pledge boosts UK dealer and driver confidence in EVs: EV Image - October

  • Results from a new trial, guaranteeing 90% battery life in used electric vehicles (EVs), showed improved confidence and consideration of the vehicles – with dealer searches for EVs increasing by 25%.
  • Addressing the widespread concern among drivers that the battery lifespan of EVs isn’t good enough, Motability Operations has now made the trial permanent.
  • The organisation believes that if rolled out on a wider scale, battery life guarantees will benefit both consumers and the automotive sector - helping to create a smoother EV transition in the UK.  
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A new promise guaranteeing battery health of 90% or above in used EVs has boosted UK dealers’ confidence and appetite to buy the vehicles. 

Motability Operations – the company that runs the Motability Scheme – recently launched a pilot scheme through its remarketing platform, mfldirect, inviting dealers to independently test the battery health of any EV purchased. 

With the assurance that any vehicle falling short of the 90% threshold could be returned at no cost, the trial saw dealer searches for EVs on the platform increase by 25%. 

Battery health remains a key concern 

According to recent findings from the Motability Scheme’s EV Transition Tracker, 1 in 2 (50%) drivers who would not consider an EV for their next vehicle said they were worried about battery lifespan. Similarly, three quarters (74%) of used car dealers in the UK said that battery health matters to retail customers. 

The battery life guarantee has gone a long way in tackling this shared concern, giving both dealers and drivers the reassurance they need to buy and sell used EVs with confidence. Since the trial’s launch, 110 dealerships that had previously only purchased petrol or diesel vehicles have bought EVs from mfldirect for the first time. 

Permanent policy will support a smoother national transition 

Following the success of the trial, Motability Operations has now made the battery health guarantee a permanent policy. 

Although new EV prices are beginning to fall, they still remain higher than petrol and diesel models1 and the used car market will be critical to making the switch to electric more affordable across UK households.  

Motability Operations believes that, if rolled out on a wider scale, battery health guarantees will give more drivers the confidence and affordable access to choose an EV. 

Andrew Miller, CEO at Motability Operations, said: “Battery reliability is one of the biggest sticking points for UK drivers. Our guarantee tackles this hesitancy head on, giving both dealers and consumers the reassurance they need. It’s a simple step that can make a real difference to the growth of the used market and support the UK’s wider EV transition.” 

Toby Poston, Chief Executive at BVRLA, said: “The used market holds the key for a healthy and sustainable transition to cleaner, greener vehicles. Every month we see registration figures of new electric vehicles grow, with that high demand feeding the used EV market. Drivers are driven by cost, clarity and confidence. Initiatives such as this represent a big step forward in providing that confidence, enabling more drivers to make the switch and opening up zero-emission motoring to more households.” 

Ian Mansfield, Head of Buying at Motorpoint, said: "We've seen demand for used electric vehicles grow considerably in recent years and they're now one of the fastest selling fuel types on the market. As a business, we're committed to offering our customers unrivalled choice when shopping for their next car and mfldirect’s Battery Health Protection is important when it comes to our EV stock. Since we signed up to the trial we've seen interest continue to grow, even with consumers who would have historically been sceptical about the battery life of second-hand EVs." 

Notes to editors

About Motability Operations:  

We are Motability Operations. We run the Motability Scheme, which gives disabled people a lifeline, connecting them to life-changing independence and freedom. 

Through the Scheme, disabled people receiving a qualifying disability allowance can choose to exchange their allowance for a good value, accessible vehicle lease. 

We play an essential role in supporting disabled people with accessing work, healthcare, education and training, keeping them connected and improving their chances of getting a job and staying in the workforce.  

On average, Scheme users are able to work an additional two days per week and for every £1 of disabled people’s allowances spent on the Scheme, there is £1.50 of benefit for the UK's economy, including supporting 34,000 jobs across the UK. 

We negotiate with manufacturers and partners to provide users of the Scheme with affordability and choice. On average, the Scheme is cheaper than alternative options, and includes insurance, breakdown, tyres and servicing.  

About mfldirect 

mfldirect is part of Motability Operations and one of the UK’s largest wholesale used vehicle suppliers, selling over 200,000 cars a year to dealers across the UK. 

Contact information

Press Office
pressoffice@mo.co.uk

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