Third quarter strongest since 2021 – electric cars reach new milestone

The third quarter was the strongest in the used car market since 2021, with over 330,000 cars sold. Sales of electric cars increased significantly, exceeding 5 percent of the total market for the first time.

Used car sales continued to increase in the third quarter of the year, albeit at a slightly slower pace. A total of 330,883 cars were sold across the car trade, private market and companies, which corresponds to an increase of 1.8 percent compared to the same period last year. The quarter was the strongest since the third quarter of 2021.

– In the second quarter, I predicted that we would reach normal sales levels before the end of the year, provided that the economy continued to develop in the right direction. Now we can already see that we are there. Unlike the new car market, the used car market is doing extremely well right now, says Daniel Odsberg, Sales Manager at Kvdbil.

Electrified cars behind the increase

Sales of electric cars increased by a whopping 78 percent compared to the third quarter of last year and now account for 5.3 percent of the total market. Sales of electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids also showed strong growth, with increases of 35.6 and 29 percent respectively. In total, sales of these vehicle types increased by 16,902 cars, while gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles decreased by 10,665 cars. Exports continued to be at high levels, especially for electric cars, but it was domestic demand that drove the increase.

“The fact that electric cars now account for over 5 percent of the total second-hand market is an important milestone that reflects a growing interest in electrified vehicles, also in the used segment,” says Odsberg. Sales of new electric cars are of course important, but we would not have seen these volumes if consumers did not perceive used electric cars as an attractive alternative. Technological maturity and falling prices have made used electric cars a realistic and sought-after choice for a wider group of car buyers.

Stockholm at the top

Sales increased the most in Stockholm County, with 1,748 more cars sold. However, in percentage terms, Uppsala County was again at the top (+7.9%). Sales also increased significantly in Östergötland County (+6.5%) and Västernorrland County (+5.9%). Örebro County, on the other hand, went in the opposite direction, with sales decreasing by 8.0 percent.

Sweden's best-selling used car

The Volvo V70 and Volkswagen Golf have traded places as Sweden's best-selling used car in recent years, and now it's the Volvo V70 that takes the title once again. During the quarter, 14,683 copies of the V70 were sold, while the Volkswagen Golf landed close behind with 14,541 cars sold. In third place we find another Volkswagen model, the Passat, with 10,326 copies sold.

Sales statistics for the passenger car market, Q3 2024

About the compilation
Kvdbil 's statistics on used car purchases in Sweden are obtained from the Swedish Vehicle Registry via the statistics company Vroom.