At least for now and at least according to a survey conducted by BCA, the first European car auction company, not only motorists, albeit with important distinctions, are “lukewarm” towards electrified cars, but also used professionals ( trader and delaer). The research, “the most extensive and significant” conducted so far in the Old Continent on the phenomenon of remarketing, involved 700 operators, who filled out a specific questionnaire. The answers are not too surprising because they reveal a substantially higher demand in the countries of Northern Europe and an evident greater interest in plug-in hybrid models. In short, the used battery market follows the trend of the new one. With its 1.4 million vehicles sold per year, BCA is an important reference point, also because it accounts for 17 million digital interactions. In the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Denmark over a quarter of remarketing professionals said they had received purchase requests, almost triple the Western European average (9%) and nine times the Italian level (3%). The market is fueled in particular by fleets and it is no coincidence that Germany and France, together with Denmark, are the countries that contribute the most in absolute numerical terms. Portugal is a “revelation”, a positive surprise in a not too encouraging panorama that concerns the countries of southern Europe. Regarding the type of demand, the operators agree: the most popular are plug-in vehicles. “One out of two customers look for them in Northern Europe and one in three in the rest of the continent”, writes the BCA. The brakes on the spread of electrified cars are always the same: the durability of the batteries (59%) and the insufficiency of the charging infrastructure (46%). In Central-Eastern Europe, doubts about the price are also very strong.
Also for these reasons, second-hand professionals are still cautious on the investment front: just one in ten respondents intervened on structures or personnel to manage used electricity. In reality, a fifth plan to do so this year, but the first half has already passed, and over 40% still have no plans to spend on this business (the percentages are much higher in the central-eastern part of the continent) . It is curious, however, that the operators of the Northern European countries agree with those of Central Eastern Europe on the future in the medium term. When asked whether they believe electric vehicles will become a significant part of the company’s turnover within a year or two, they answered “yes” in 31% of cases. The percentage stops at 19% in Western Europe, where even the most skeptical operators reside (81% among those who have many doubts and those who exclude them).
“Selling the new is not enough. Faced with such a varied market and a product that brings with it unknowns in terms of value retention, the sale of used vehicles must become a structured, fast and digital business ”, commented Barbara Barbieri, CEO of BCA Italia.
