EV, Hybrid & Gas Depreciation Calculator: 5-Year Resale Value Estimate
Estimate resale value by vehicle category — gas, hybrid, or EV — using iSeeCars 2026 five-year depreciation data. Category averages only, not a prediction for any specific model.
What You Enter
Vehicle category, estimated purchase price, planned holding period from 1 to 7 years, and annual mileage.
How It Works
The calculator applies the category's five-year loss average, interpolates resale value for your holding period, and applies a clearly labeled mileage adjustment when your annual mileage deviates from the baseline.
Limitations
Category averages mask wide variation between models. Use the result as a planning range and research the specific model you are considering before relying on it.
How to Read Your Result
The output is an estimated resale value range for your holding period, derived from category-level five-year depreciation averages. It is a planning figure, not a valuation.
The most useful way to read it is as a cost line rather than a price. Subtract the estimated resale value from your purchase price and divide by your holding period, and you have the annual depreciation cost of owning that vehicle. For most drivers that number is larger than fuel and maintenance combined, which is why it deserves more attention than it usually gets.
Category averages hide enormous model-level variation. Within any single category, individual models routinely land 15 to 20 percentage points on either side of the category average. Use the result to size the problem, then research the specific model before relying on it.
To see how depreciation feeds into a complete ownership cost picture — alongside charging costs, EV vs hybrid comparison, and battery risk — run the Vehicle Decision Summary with the same inputs; it pulls this calculator's output directly without recalculating.
Battery health is a major factor in used EV value. The Battery Replacement Risk Calculator estimates SOH range and risk tier from age, mileage, climate, and fast-charging habits — use it to gauge how much battery degradation might shift resale value for the vehicle you are evaluating.
Common Mistakes
Reading the estimate as a prediction for a specific vehicle. It is not. The calculator applies a category average and adjusts for holding period and mileage. It has no information about the model you are considering, its reliability record, or its demand in the used market.
Ignoring mileage. Annual mileage well above the baseline accelerates depreciation, and the effect compounds over a longer holding period. The calculator applies a labeled mileage adjustment, but if your mileage is extreme in either direction, treat the result as more uncertain than usual.
Assuming EV depreciation patterns are stable. They have not been. Used EV values have shifted sharply in both directions in recent years as new-vehicle pricing, incentive rules, and battery replacement expectations changed. Historical averages describe the past more reliably than they forecast the future.
Forgetting that depreciation is only realized when you sell. If you intend to keep a vehicle for ten years or more, resale value matters far less than durability and running cost. Depreciation modeling is most useful for buyers who expect to exit within three to seven years.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do electric cars depreciate in 5 years?
Category averages have varied considerably by year and by data source. The calculator applies iSeeCars 2026 five-year depreciation figures by category. Because the used EV market has been unusually volatile, treat any single figure as a midpoint of a wide range rather than a reliable expectation.
Do EVs depreciate faster than gas cars?
Historically EVs have depreciated faster on average, driven largely by rapid improvement in new models, falling new-vehicle prices, and uncertainty about battery life. The gap has narrowed and widened repeatedly. The answer also depends heavily on the specific model, since a few EVs hold value better than comparable gas cars.
Why does the calculator use category averages instead of specific models?
Because model-level resale data is thin for many vehicles and becomes unreliable quickly as market conditions change. A category average is honest about what it does and does not know. A model-level estimate would look more precise without being more accurate.
Does high mileage always reduce resale value?
Yes, but the size of the effect varies by category and by how far above or below the baseline you are. The calculator applies a clearly labeled adjustment so you can see how much of the result comes from mileage rather than from the category average itself.
How should I use this alongside a total cost comparison?
Use the depreciation estimate to fill in the residual value input in a five-year cost comparison. Because residual value is usually the largest and least certain component of ownership cost, running the comparison across a range of residual values is more informative than running it once with a single figure.