In Italy, a batch of used electric cars can sit for weeks. A thousand kilometres away, the same cars find buyers in a few days. The reason is simple: demand for EVs varies enormously from country to country, and so do taxes and incentives. Here is where they sell best today, and what to check before offering a batch abroad.
1. Demand: how big EVs are in each country
A good indicator of demand is the share of electric cars in new registrations. Where EVs are already the normal choice, used EVs also find more buyers.
| Country | H1 2026 | H1 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Norway | 97.6% | 93.0% |
| Denmark | 79.9% | 63.8% |
| Finland | 47.8% | 34.2% |
| Sweden | 41.5% | 35.2% |
| Netherlands | 36.5% | 35.0% |
| Belgium | 36.1% | 32.8% |
| France | 28.2% | 17.6% |
| Germany | 24.8% | 17.7% |
| Spain | 9.8% | 7.6% |
| Italy | 8.5% | 5.2% |
| Poland | 5.3% | 5.0% |
Source: EV Sales in Europe H1 2026, Eleport
The picture is clear: Italy has one of the lowest levels of EV demand in Europe. That makes it mainly a country that used EVs leave from, rather than a market to sell them in.
2. Country by country: the taxes and incentives that matter
Denmark: almost 8 in 10 new cars are electric. EVs still pay only part of the registration tax, which also applies to imported used cars: in 2026 the effective rate is 60%. Parliament has decided to raise it gradually until 2036, so the tax advantage is shrinking, but slowly.
Finland: for fully electric cars the registration tax (autovero) is 0%. A small annual vehicle tax remains, increased from 2026. EV demand grew by more than 13 points in one year.
Netherlands: EVs pay a low, flat registration tax (BPM) of €667, and in 2026 they get a 30% discount on road tax. A mature market with many B2B operators: competitive prices, but high turnover.
Germany: demand is growing fast (from 17.7% to 24.8% in one year), helped by the new state incentive of €3,000 to €6,000 for low- and middle-income households. But note: the incentive applies only to new cars, not to used cars, dealer registrations or pre-registered cars. Used EVs therefore compete with new cars discounted by the incentive: the price has to be right.
Norway: the most electric car market in the world, but outside the European Union: customs formalities are required. In 2026 EVs are VAT-exempt up to a price of NOK 300,000 (about €26,500); the government has announced plans to lower this threshold in 2027 and remove it in 2028.
Italy: in 2026 there are no direct incentives for buying electric cars, and funds for home chargers have also run out. Few private buyers mean lower used EV prices than in the North: which is exactly why Italy is a good sourcing market.
3. What foreign buyers look at
Buyers who purchase used EVs to resell in the North mainly assess:
Battery capacity (kWh): the factor that most affects the price. Small-battery versions, fine for city use, sell poorly in the Nordic countries.
Battery state of health (SoH): a battery certificate or health report makes a batch much easier to sell.
Heat pump and winter range: in Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Norway these details move the price.
Fast charging: maximum DC charging power and CCS socket.
Documents: COC, service history, number of previous owners. (For VAT, documents and transport, see our full guide.)
4. In short: where to offer a batch of used EVs
- Denmark and Finland for EVs with good range, a large battery and a heat pump.
- Netherlands and Belgium for large batches and the most common models, at competitive prices.
- Germany for recent used cars priced clearly below the subsidised new ones.
- Norway only for suitable batches, taking customs and the falling VAT thresholds into account.
In every case, the price should be checked market by market, on real listings and net of local VAT: the difference between one country and another can be thousands of euros on the same car.
How we work
Every batch we receive is compared across the main European markets before we offer it to buyers. We work with dealers in Germany, Denmark, Finland and across Europe, and invoice and payment always go directly between supplier and buyer.
See how we handle electric cars
Have a batch of EVs to offer, or looking for cars for your market? Contact us.