Make used electric cars cheaper and tackle battery fears, peers tell ministers

A MG ZS EV Trophy electric car for sale on a dealer’s forecourt. The Lords committee said most secondhand vehicles available for resale are SUVs or cars costing more than £40,000. Photograph: ZarkePix/Alamy

Ministers need to intervene to boost the secondhand electric vehicle market and allay “uncertainty and concerns” over the health of their batteries, a House of Lords committee has said.

Peers on the environment and climate change committee urged the government to step up efforts to encourage electric vehicle adoption amid consumer jitters over the cost of vehicles, the longevity of their batteries and the availability of charging points.