Prime Minister Andy Burnham is facing calls from three leading electric vehicle bodies to introduce legislation requiring all dealer-sold used EVs to come with a certificate confirming their current battery state of health. The Labour government leader, who succeeded Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister last month, is being lobbied by motoring experts who argue the change is essential for consumer confidence in the used EV market.
Industry leaders call for standardised battery checks
Ginny Buckley, founder of Electrifying.com, said: “We’re asking consumers to make one of the biggest purchases of their lives without one of the most important pieces of information. A standardised battery health certificate would give buyers the transparency and confidence they deserve. Given how important the used market is to the UK’s transition to electric cars, this feels like a genuine no-brainer.”
Nick Bailey, Founder of BatteryIQ, stressed that the technology already exists to make standardised checks a reality. He said: “Battery health is probably the single biggest unanswered question for used EV buyers, yet it’s also one of the easiest things to measure accurately. We already have the technology, we already know how to assess battery condition consistently. The missing piece is making that information available as standard. A battery State of Health certificate should become as routine as an MOT certificate. It would create a trusted benchmark for buyers, support stronger residual values and give consumers the confidence they deserve when choosing a used electric car.”
Research shows strong consumer demand for battery certificates
Separate research by Startline Motor Finance suggests a health check could have an even bigger impact on confidence. The study found that 77% of drivers were worried about potential battery failure and 57% would only ever consider a used EV which had a battery health certificate.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “With more than two million EVs now on UK roads, it’s becoming clear that early fears over battery failure have been hugely overblown. In fact, it is proving to be a fairly rare occurrence. Despite this, it is a possibility still clearly playing on the minds of potential electric car buyers and professional battery health checks, which are being offered by a range of companies, could play an important role in creating a sense of security.”
Impact on the used EV market
The proposal, if adopted, would require all dealer-sold used EVs to include a battery state of health certificate at the point of sale. Industry experts argue that such a move would standardise information across the market, reduce buyer anxiety, and potentially support stronger residual values for used electric vehicles.
The calls come as the UK continues its transition to electric cars, with the used market playing a critical role in making EVs accessible to a wider range of consumers. The three bodies are urging ministers to consider legislation that would make the certificate a mandatory part of every used EV sale, similar to the existing MOT certificate requirement.
