The trade value of a three-year-old Tesla Model 3 in Britain has risen by a fifth in six months, according to Solera CAP HPI valuation data published by Auto Express on 3 November 2026. A 2019–24 Model 3 with 30,000 miles is now valued at £22,188, against £18,375 six months ago. That is £3,813, or 20.9%, more: the largest cash increase of any used electric car in CAP HPI's top ten, and the second-largest in percentage terms after the MINI Cooper Electric.
Trade values are what dealers pay for a car, not the price they ask for it.
The ten biggest risers
| Model | Six months ago | Latest | Increase | Rise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MINI Cooper Electric (2019–24) | £9,905 | £12,710 | £2,805 | 28.3% |
| Tesla Model 3 (2019–24) | £18,375 | £22,188 | £3,813 | 20.9% |
| Polestar 2 (2019 onwards) | £18,057 | £21,822 | £3,765 | 20.9% |
| Cupra Born (2021 onwards) | £15,475 | £18,555 | £3,080 | 19.9% |
| Subaru Solterra (2022 onwards) | £13,350 | £15,925 | £2,575 | 19.3% |
| MG5 (2020–25) | £9,025 | £10,731 | £1,706 | 18.9% |
| Kia e-Niro (2018–23) | £12,867 | £15,233 | £2,367 | 18.4% |
| Volkswagen ID.3 (2020–24) | £12,648 | £14,870 | £2,222 | 17.6% |
| Peugeot E-208 (2019 onwards) | £9,593 | £11,262 | £1,668 | 17.4% |
| MG4 (2022 onwards) | £11,355 | £13,110 | £1,755 | 15.4% |
The values are for cars three years old with 30,000 miles. The Model Y is not in the top ten.
Fuel prices are pushing buyers
Auto Express links the rise to fuel prices: diesel at £2 a litre is now normal, and petrol averages more than 170p. Enquiries for electric cars on its sister site Carwow rose 28% between March and the end of September, while diesel enquiries fell 33%. Electricity is getting dearer too, but the Ofgem price cap has risen by only 3.6%.
Chris Plumb, CAP HPI's head of valuations, calls it "a recovery from previously depressed positions rather than a market running away with itself". Auto Express adds that the data is not necessarily a sign that values are about to soar.
CAP HPI's monthly figures point the same way. In October, Motor Trade News reported, used car values fell 1.7% overall at three years and 60,000 miles, but electric cars were the only fuel type to gain, by 0.6%. They took 32 days to sell at retail, against 35 for petrol and 38 for diesel.
Quick to sell, too
Separate data from Brego, also in Motor Trade News, shows three-year-old Model 3s selling in 16.2 days on average in October. That made it the fourth-fastest-selling three-year-old used car, after a Land Rover Defender (10.5 days), a Mercedes-Benz EQC and a Nissan Leaf. Electric cars took four of the top five places.
What it means for owners
The rise also shows in asking prices. In AA Cars' third-quarter index, the average used Model 3 listed in Britain rose 7.0% in a quarter, to £19,295. For owners, it means a car that lost value steeply in its first years is now recovering some of it, while running costs stay well below those of petrol and diesel cars.