All segments of the Ukrainian electric vehicle market continued to show a decline in February. The key factor behind the decline remains the reinstatement of mandatory VAT payments on car customs clearance. This tax factor returned on January 1, 2026.
This is evidenced by data from analysts at the Automotive Market Research Institute.
Dynamics by segment
In February, 1,916 domestic car resale transactions were registered. Compared to January, the figures fell by 47.4%, and compared to February 2025, by 31.9%.
Imports of used cars declined even more. A total of 803 cars were imported, which is 43.2% less than last month and 79.2% less than the same period last year.
Only 135 new electric vehicles were imported into Ukraine during the month. This segment fell the most, by 84.5% for the month and 79.4% for the year.
Source: Institute for Automotive Market Research
Experts are convinced that the increased tax burden led to a shift toward the domestic market or postponement of purchases.
Most popular models
Specialists attribute the relative stability of the domestic market to the existence of a certain pool of vehicles in Ukraine and the independence from duties on cars already registered. The leader in resales is the Nissan Leaf. Also in the top five most popular vehicles in this segment are the Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Volkswagen e-Golf.
Source: Institute for Automotive Market Research
Ukrainians continue to import used cars from Europe and the USA, but due to additional costs they choose more liquid models. The top five leaders in this segment are the Tesla Model Y and Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Chevrolet Bolt EV, and Tesla Model S.
Source: Institute for Automotive Market Research
In the segment of new electric vehicle imports, Chinese brands and sub-brands are firmly in the lead. Of the 135 imported vehicles, 115 were manufactured in China. Analysts associate this with an optimal price-to-technology ratio, which makes the purchase worthwhile even after accounting for VAT.
The top five most popular electric vehicle models in this segment are BYD Sea Lion 06, Zeekr 001 and 7X, Honda e:NP2, and BYD Leopard 3.
Source: Institute for Automotive Market Research
Key conclusions
December 2025 figures were record-high. This was mostly due to expectations of the return of VAT payments during customs clearance – everyone wanted to make it in time.
The decline in the domestic market indicates that the imported vehicles were purchased almost exclusively for personal use, not for resale under the new regulations.
China is holding back the flow of new electric vehicles. Experts believe that despite having a large share of new auto imports, the total number is extremely small, which indicates the effect of the "180-day rule." Currently, Chinese electric cars play a negligible role on the secondary market – only 34 out of 803 transactions.
The Auto Market Research Institute believes that the return of VAT did not work as the government had expected. Imports decreased, resulting in lower budget revenues. At the same time, the pace at which the Ukrainian vehicle fleet was being renewed with environmentally friendly vehicles independent of fossil fuels also slowed down.
The reinstatement of customs duties also negatively affected ordinary buyers.
“In this case, citizens lost out, as unlike in a number of other countries, there was no 'plus' government support (such as subsidies, grants, preferential loans, etc.) to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles, and now there is no support even in the form of a tax break,” the Auto Market Research Institute notes.
EcoPolitic previously reported that in January 2026, the electric car market fell 14-fold compared to December 2025, according to this report.
Meanwhile, the cost of charging electric vehicles has significantly increased.
