The number of electric vehicles for sale has increased markedly over the last 10 years as finally the revolution begins to gather pace. This is a revolution which has been promised for many years although political interference in the past has not assisted with the speed at which electric cars are now being launched onto the market. There are a number of prominent names in the electric car market which include the Tesla roadster, Mitsubishi MiEV, Nissan 2010 Leaf, Citroen C-Zero, REVA NXR to name but a few. While it would be wrong to suggest that the second hand market in electric vehicles is anywhere near the liquidity seen in the traditional car market, there has been significant growth over the last couple of years.

There is some dispute as to how long an electric vehicle will hold its value with initial suggestions showing it is likely to perform better in the short term compared to traditional cars but could lose up to 90% of its value after five years. The problem at the moment is the fact that the most expensive element of an electric vehicle is the battery power required. There have been enormous strides in the technology associated with battery power, with lithium ion batteries now the leader in the sector, but there is still much work to be done. We have already seen a vast improvement in onboard recharging systems and there are now more recharging stations available than ever before, although there is still room for improvement in this area.

A number of governments around the world have introduced tax incentives in relation to electric powered cars for sale which obviously helps to offset any potential long-term reduction in their value. It seems highly likely that these government schemes, targeted at both car manufacturers and electric car owners, will continue for some time to come as a means of pushing more and more consumers in the direction of more environmentally friendly transport alternatives.

In the early days of the electric powered car there was a certain stigma attached, in the eyes of the public, and many people have until today effectively discounted a potential purchase of an electric vehicle. However, advances in technology have taken the electric car market to a very different level and when you also consider the volatile oil price and ever-increasing cost of fuel it is no surprise that more electric cars are being sold today than ever before.