Used Car Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecast (2022 - 2027)

Market Overview

The used car market is expected to reach USD 460 billion, registering a CAGR of over 10% during the forecast period.

The outbreak of COVID-19 affected the automotive industry significantly. With supply chain disruption and transportation halt, new additions to the used car inventory were not coming into the market. As a result, fewer models were available for purchase, resulting in fewer purchases. However, during the later stages of 2021, the market started reverting to the pre-pandemic situation, increasing opportunities for the used car market with a major push from low and mid-income consumers.

Over the medium term, the used car market across the world is growing rapidly. The main reason for the same has been the advent of organized players in the market in developing nations, which has taken care of the trust deficit plaguing the used car market in those countries for ages.

Due to increasing digitization and the ability of companies to provide immersive purchase experiences remotely, the used car market is expected to witness significant growth. Furthermore, the rise in value-added service offerings and the variety of finance providers offering credit for used cars will also contribute to the growth of the used car market across the globe. However, higher interest rates may discourage some potential customers, slowing the market's growth.

Factors such as a rise in income levels, increasing demand for luxury cars, shorter car ownership periods, booming import-export, and a growing preference for two-wheeler owners to upgrade to small and compact cars drive the growth of the market.

However, a lack of financing or expensive financing options in many countries for used cars is expected to hinder the growth of the market. While finance for new cars is easy to obtain, used cars attract a higher rate of interest and are not sanctioned so easily. However, with gradual growth in the organized sector, the market situation is changing. Major players, like Toyota, BMW, Maruti Suzuki, etc., have ventured into the used car space in India.

The market in emerging economies like India is dominated by unorganized players who do not own inventory but rather thrive on their platform for C2C sales. They make revenue through commissions earned by facilitating the sale of used cars on their online platforms. However, the organized and semi-organized sectors are steadily catching up and are expected to play a significant role toward the end of the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the largest market, followed by North America and Europe.

Scope of the Report

A used car, a pre-owned vehicle, or a secondhand car, is a vehicle that has previously had one or more retail owners. On the other hand, a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle is a pre-owned vehicle that has been extensively inspected (pre-purchase inspection) and expertly reconditioned.

The used car market is segmented by vehicle type, vendor type, and geography. Based on the vehicle type, the market is segmented into hatchbacks, sedans, sports utility vehicles, and multi-purpose vehicles. Based on the vendor type, the market is segmented into organized and unorganized. Based on geography, the market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the World. For each segment, the market size and forecast have been done based on value (USD billion).

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Key Market Trends

Strengthening of Online Infrastructure Positively Affecting the Used Cars Market

As the smartphone and internet penetration in emerging economies, especially in Asia-Pacific, is increasing, the used car market is getting more organized because used car retailers use digitalization to make market offerings attractive. Facilities such as an enormous number of photos and videos on the online platform and an easy online instant finance service are drawing more customers into buying used cars.

With the growing trend in technology, used car vehicle purchase through online sales has become the most preferred choice for customers over the past few years. Moreover, it provides additional facilities to monitor all the required documents, performance, and service records of the vehicle. The consumer can compare a wide variety of options and apply their desired filter to find the most relevant used car that matches their criteria.

Many new used car companies are entering the market, and it will continue in the coming years. Companies compete with the existing players by providing customized services, a new fleet, and a low-pricing strategy. Companies will continue to focus on keeping themselves ahead based on value-added services provided to prospective clients, reducing service costs, and introducing premium and well-maintained vehicle models and features into their fleets to capture a significant share of the market.

• In May 2022, Indonesia-based omnichannel used car company Moladin, which is operating through offline and online sales, raised series B funding worth USD 95 million. In addition, funding will boost the company’s automotive ecosystem and further help the company grows its dealer, agents, and customer network.

In the North American market, where the used car sale to new car sale ratio is almost 2 to 1, many new players such as Fair and Vroom are leveraging artificial intelligence and Big Data analytics to differentiate their brand and offerings from conventionally used car dealers. Major OEMs are now investing in the used car segment to ramp up their revenues.

Tech-savvy customers in the age group of 25-40 years are demanding features such as end-to-end transactions, doorstep delivery, digital recommendations based on the driving behavior and lifestyle of the customer, and digital test drives. Players in the market are providing flawless and smooth access to car specifications, performance reports, and inventory information to customers to assist them in making informed decisions.

• Mercedes-Benz uses blockchain technology to store and maintain the maintenance history record of the carbon footprint of used cars in Beijing. 35% of a car’s carbon footprint comes from the manufacturer. Mercedes-Benz and PlatOn are planning to store the entire lifecycle data of a vehicle.

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