Used-car prices in Spain fell 4.7% year on year to 17,281 euros in August as more electrified models and a rebound in available stock put pressure on sellers. Some industry sources cited by Spanish media put the August average even lower, at 15,770 euros, reflecting differences among market surveys.
This reverses the trend of the past few years, when microchip shortages, shipping problems and other supply issues kept used-car prices high. Now, more than 40 new electrified models, many from Chinese brands, are arriving in Spain at competitive prices. The change is most visible in cities, where listings for nearly new electric cars such as the SEAT Mii electric and Toyota C-HR+ are appearing more often.
In the first half of 2026, sales of used electric vehicles in Spain grew by 45.3%, while plug-in hybrid sales increased by 49%.
But the numbers tell a tougher story. Despite falling prices and a 13% rise in online searches for electrified cars in August compared with July, sales of electric and hybrid cars remain slow. Household budgets are tight, and the second-hand electric market is still small. Fuel prices keep rising, but most buyers are not ready to switch. GANVAM data shows that hybrids account for 12% of used-car registrations and fully electric cars just 2%. The transition remains slow.
Older cars still dominate. Coches.net reports that 57% of used-car sales in August involved vehicles more than ten years old. Diesel models accounted for almost 47% of deals and petrol cars for 36.3%; hybrids and electrics together made up just 16.6% of the market. Spain’s car fleet is modernizing slowly. Industry watchers describe the market as risky, with much depending on a car’s age and condition. Older diesel and petrol cars remain in high demand.
Groups such as Ganvam and coches.net want targeted incentives to make younger used electrified cars, especially those three to five years old, easier to buy. They say this could help people who cannot afford new electric cars and speed up the replacement of Spain’s old, polluting fleet. Both groups also call for scrappage programs aimed at the oldest, dirtiest cars. Without these policies, they warn, outdated vehicles will remain on Spanish roads and in the used-car market.
An industry market review put Spain’s share of battery electric vehicles (BEV) in new registrations at 14.0% in August 2026, compared with an average of 30.5% across 16 basic European markets. It said Spain is progressing but still lags behind more mature EV markets.
Regional differences are emerging. In Madrid, Catalonia and the Valencian Community, Low Emission Zones and large rental and leasing fleets are boosting the supply of nearly new and electrified cars. Greater stock, combined with new electrified models, is cooling prices after years of strain and increasing competition for older used cars.
Cheaper electrified models, especially from China, are forcing Spain’s used-car market to adapt. Still, as a recent report on the city EV race points out, there is a wide gap between what buyers want and what they actually buy.
Lower prices and more choice should support the shift to cleaner cars, but old habits and tight budgets are slowing it down. Unless policymakers make younger electrified cars easier to buy and get the oldest vehicles off the road, a modern, low-emission fleet will remain out of reach for most Spanish drivers.
