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Pickles, a popular used car marketplace for Aussies, has just released a Battery State of Health scoring system for used electric vehicles.
Electric Cars
Potential used EV buyers can make more informed decisions with Pickles’ new Battery State of Health (SoH) assessment – a claimed first for Australia by the company.
Starting this week in Sydney and Melbourne, the initiative is designed to rid second-hand EV buyers of uncertain battery conditions.
Pickles General Manager of Automotive Solutions Brendon Green told Drive the rest of the country can expect to see this roll out within the next month.
Green said in a media statement: “Until now, buyers have been bidding in the dark. This move replaces uncertainty with confidence – and positions Pickles as the national leader in EV transparency.”
Each certificate consists of two SoH scores – one from the manufacturer and one from an independent source called Aviloo – and comes with the details of the battery data without original equipment manufacturing (OEM) fluff.
Pickles has already tested more than 650 EVs – so far with an average of 96 per cent.
Green told Drive the average type of vehicle was about two and a half years old with around 30,000km on the odometer, but even four-year old cars were earning scores at around 93 per cent.
This step follows international trends of battery testing – Europe introduced battery scoring with more than 1000 new dealers entering the used EV market after the testing protocol.
Pickles publishes quarterly reports of their automotive data – their 2025 Q2 report showed that while the overall used car market “softened” in June, internal combustion engine (ICE) and electric vehicle prices remained stable quarter-on-quarter, showing continued buyer interest in this segment.
“This is the clearest sign yet that the used EV market is moving beyond early adopters,” said Green in a media statement.
“We’re seeing serious engagement from trade buyers, underpinned by better data, broader stock, and rising buyer confidence.”
The battery SoH assessment is purely for buyers to be more informed when shopping around, but Green told Drive that many of the newer cars are still under their original warranty.
The Q2 report also notes that salvage cars, which are often insurance write-off vehicles, are the most popular in Queensland since battery repurposing is promoted by the state government.
The report also anticipates the phasing out of the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) could speed up the rates that EVs are used, especially in fleets.
Additionally, private buyers surveyed by Pickles found the top motivators to be value for money, reputation, and ease of use.
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Ilana is a Melbourne-based journalist who was previously a copywriter in the Big Apple. Having moved to Melbourne for her Master of Journalism, she has written articles about food, farm machinery, fashion, and now the fast and furious. Her dream car has been a Mini Cooper since the fifth grade, eyeing its style and petite size.
