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This article was published on July 26, 2021

Spoiler alert: The most popular used EV in the US isn’t a Tesla

The winner might surprise you


Spoiler alert: The most popular used EV in the US isn’t a Tesla

Tesla may be dominating the new EV sales, but there’s another — and unexpected — winner in the used electric vehicle market.

iSeeCars.com analyzed data from the top 25 states with the greatest EV sales, which revealed that the best-selling used electric vehicle is the Nissan LEAF.

Nissan LEAF best selling used EV in the US.
Credit: Nissan
The Nissan LEAF.

In fact, the Nissan LEAF is the most popular choice in 18 out of the 25 states, while the Tesla Model S holds the first place in the remaining seven states.

Tesla Model S second place for best-selling used EV in the US
The Tesla Model S.

Nationally, the LEAF also has the highest share of used EV sales at 27.7%. The Tesla Model S comes second with a 17.8% share — that’s a big win for Nissan.

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According to Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst at iSeeCars.com, “This is likely due to the LEAF’s affordability with a used car price of $13,054 compared to a used Tesla Model S at $48,996, as well as its brand recognition as the first mass-market EV that’s been on the market for a decade.”

Preference by state

Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, popular used EV per US state
Credit: iSeeCars.com
The preferred used EV per state.

Hawaii is the state with the highest share of used Nissan LEAFs at 61.3%, which can be explained by the $10,000 rebate offered by the country’s government for the purchase of this model. 

The Tesla Model S holds its highest share in used EV sales in Illinois (33.8%), with Texas a close second at 33%.

But even in California, Tesla’s home state, the LEAF is still the most bought used electric vehicle.

The top 10 used EVs

iSeeCars also determined the top ten best-selling used electric vehicles, which comprise over 90% of the used EV market.

Here’s the list:

  1. Nissan LEAF (27.7%)
  2. Tesla Model S (17.8%)
  3. Fiat 500e (9.1%)
  4. Chevrolet Bolt EV (8.4%)
  5. Volkswagen e-Golf (6.3%)
  6. Tesla Model 3 (5.9%)
  7. Tesla Model X (4.9%)
  8. BMW i3 (4.8%)
  9. Chevrolet Spark EV (3.9%)
  10. Kia Soul EV (3.1%)

If you’re interested in more detailed information per state, you can find the full survey here.

Do EVs excite your electrons? Do ebikes get your wheels spinning? Do self-driving cars get you all charged up? 

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