The Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA), in partnership with AutoGrab, has released the September 2025 Automotive Insights Report (AIR). The report is a national snapshot of used car sales and listings for the month of September, with 200,916 vehicles sold during the month.
AADA CEO James Voortman said price pressures in the new EV market are clearly flowing through to used cars with challenges remaining regarding vehicle depreciation.
“Used EV prices have dropped faster than the rest of the market, which isn’t surprising given the big discounts now being offered on new models,” he said.
“We’re seeing those price cuts flow through to the second-hand market, so buyers are getting better value but sellers are facing steeper depreciation.”
“Higher depreciation doesn’t just impact private owners, it flows through to trade-in values, dealer margins and fleet replacement costs, all of which shape how quickly EV adoption grows,” said Mr Voortman.
September’s results show the used car market holding steady, with total sales edging slightly lower but vehicles selling faster than at any point this year. Average days to sell fell again, indicating sustained buyer activity despite overall volumes easing.
Key insights from September include:
- Sales ease slightly: National used car sales totalled 200,916, down 1.3 per cent month-on-month. NSW and the NT bucked the trend, recording increases in sales activity.
- Vehicles selling faster: The average days to sell fell to 42.4 days, down from 43.9 in August – the lowest figure of 2025 so far and continuing the steady decline from March’s high of 51.3 days.
- Dealer activity steady: Dealers accounted for 53.1 per cent of all sales and 59.8 per cent of listings, showing stable participation despite a marginal dip in total active listings to 338,090.
- EV momentum returns: Used EV sales rose 8.9 per cent to 2,995 vehicles, reversing last month’s fall.
“The used car market continues to show resilience. Even with overall volumes softening, vehicles are turning over faster, which highlights strong underlying demand for well-priced stock. Dealers are maintaining solid inventory levels and adapting quickly to changing consumer preferences,” said Mr Voortman.