Analysis · Timing
The best moment for an electric car is rarely «new, right now»
The largest item when buying a car is on no price tag: depreciation. On a new car it costs more in the first years than fuel, insurance and servicing combined.
With electric cars this item is currently particularly large. Used electric cars lost 8,3 per cent of their value on average in 2025, used petrol cars 0,2 per cent. In the first quarter of 2026 a further 3,2 per cent came on top for electric cars. In one evaluation a Jaguar I-Pace stood at 62 per cent below its list price, a Porsche Taycan at 50 per cent.
Depreciation does not disappear. It only changes owner.
Three reasons for the pressure
- Model cycles are short. {NEU} models were registered in Switzerland for the first time in 2026. Every new model with more range or faster charging pushes down the price of its predecessor.
- New car prices are falling as well. New electric cars were advertised 4,2 per cent cheaper in Q1 2026. When the new price falls, the used price falls with it. The used-car seller is then competing with a cheaper new car.
- Demand for used electric cars lags behind. The time used electric cars stand unsold has lengthened considerably since 2022, while for combustion cars it rose only moderately.
What that means in practice
A new car pays off with a holding period of seven years or more, high mileage and the ability to charge at home. Depreciation is then spread over enough years.
A used car, two to three years old, with a shorter holding period and medium mileage. Someone else has paid the steepest part of the value curve. The price for that: not the newest charging technology.
Waiting, if no way to charge at home is in sight. Sort out the socket first, then the vehicle.
A point where the data runs out
Reliable time series on used prices for individual models are not public in Switzerland. They sit behind paywalls at Autovista/Eurotax and AutoScout24. The only freely available model figures date from early 2024. Anyone who needs a model-specific residual value forecast pays for it. Distrust percentages for individual models without such a basis.
