Used electric cars are selling like hotcakes in the US. We’re talking about second-hand EVs moving 36 days faster than regular petrol cars. That’s insane, right? Maybe not as insane as you think as the petrol prices in the US are much higher than in Malaysia.

Used EV sales jumped 34% this year while new EV sales barely budged. Could this trend be a sign of what’s coming for Malaysian EV market?

The Numbers Don’t Lie

Last year, a brand new Ford Mustang Mach-E GT cost around USD55,000. Now? Some retired guy named Jeff Craig just bought a 2024 model with only 13,000 miles for USD33,000. That’s a 22% discount for basically a one-year-old car.

Malaysia’s EV Scene is Getting Serious

Malaysia registered almost 20,000 EV units in the first seven months of 2025. That’s a 58.9% jump from last year. And guess what? These cars will eventually hit the used car market in the next few years.

The Proton e.MAS 7 is leading the pack with 4,689 units sold. BYD is still the top brand with 6,270 units under their belt. These popular models will probably become the backbone of our used EV market soon.

Depreciation is Your Friend (For Once)

Our local EVs drop 30-40% in value within three years. Sounds scary if you’re buying new, but if you’re shopping for used? It’s like striking lottery.

Chinese EV brands that dominate our market see even steeper price drops. But here’s the thing – that steep depreciation creates real opportunities for regular folks like us to get our hands on modern electric tech without breaking the bank.

Why Used EVs Can Make Sense

Think about it. No more radiator problems. No spark plugs to replace. No oil changes every few months. EVs are basically giant smartphones on wheels when it comes to maintenance. The batteries? They’re tougher than people think. Most come with eight-year warranties, so even buying used, you’re covered.

Your monthly running costs drop significantly. Electricity is still cheaper than petrol, even with the recent tariff changes. Plus, no more visits to the workshop every few thousand kilometers.

Infrastructure is Finally Catching Up (Slowly But Surely)

Remember when range anxiety was the biggest excuse not to buy an EV? Those days are numbered. We’ve got 3,611 EV charging points operational as of December 2024. The government is pushing to hit 10,000 charging stations by end of this year. (Though abit too ambitious lah)

ChargEV, Gentari, and JomCharge control over 40% of our charging network. The coverage is getting better every month. Just recently, Schneider Electric opened this advanced DC charging hub in Petaling Jaya. More are coming.

Government Support In 2025

Here’s the best part – we still get full road tax exemption for EVs until the end of 2025. Insurance rates are lower too. Combined with government incentives, used EVs offer serious cost advantages over petrol cars.

Good For People Who Want To ‘Try First’

As our charging infrastructure expands and more lease returns enter the market, used EVs are positioned to make electric vehicle ownership accessible to way more Malaysians.

You don’t need to pay premium prices for new models anymore. The used market is opening up real opportunities for everyday buyers to go electric without the sticker shock.