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Alternative and Advanced Vehicles

Resale: Pre-Owned Alternative Fuel and Advanced Vehicles

Photo of cars and trucks driving on a highway.

Purchasing pre-owned alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) is a good way for consumers, fleets, and Clean Cities stakeholders to acquire quality AFVs at reduced prices. AFVs offered for resale tend to be in excellent condition and can dramatically reduce the incremental costs associated with a fleet's transition to AFVs. Some AFVs, however, may have high mileage if they were regularly used in fleet applications.

A consistent and reliable source for pre-owned AFVs is the General Services Administration (GSA), which leases vehicles to federal government agencies. When these government AFVs need to be retired, GSA Fleet Vehicle Sales makes them available to the highest bidders at GSA auctions throughout the year. Interested fleets can register to receive e-mails notifying them of auction dates and locations and information on vehicle availability through the GSA Web site. Clean Cities coordinators are also familiar with GSA auctions and can help fleets understand the GSA process. A list of Clean Cities Coordinators and other program contacts is available on the Clean Cities Web site.

AFVs also enter the resale market from state, county, and municipal fleets. Although these AFVs strengthen the AFV resale market, there is no central source for finding them online. These vehicles are usually auctioned at regularly scheduled state, county, or privately run auctions that are preceded by a public announcement of the auction time and place. Some vehicles are also listed on general used car Web sites.

Resale Values

Compared to conventional pre-owned vehicles, used AFVs can be obtained at a good value at auction. Depending on the market, bi-fuel vehicles usually sell at a 20% discount from the book value of conventional vehicles. Dedicated vehicles, especially those that run on gaseous fuels, can sell for as much as 60% less than the book value of conventional vehicles. Flexible fuel vehicles usually sell at book value because they operate on gasoline or E85. The lower capital cost of owning used AFVs can make owning and operating them more attractive to smaller companies that want to start using AFVs.

Pre-Owned AFV Availability

Several fleets have successfully bought and sold pre-owned AFVs in Clean Cities regions where networks of stakeholders and central contact people (such as area coordinators) can help spread the news of upcoming AFV sales. Such methods have been effective in Long Island, New York; Washington; Salt Lake City; and Denver. In fact, many organizations are sponsoring online marketplaces where sellers can post information about used AFVs. Refer to the following links for more information.

Resources

For more information on the alternative fuel vehicle resale market, read the following documents. Download Adobe Reader.

  • Successes and Challenges in the Resale of Alternative Fuel Vehicles (PDF 565 KB)
  • GSA Fleet Vehicle Sales: AFV Remarketing (PDF 136 KB)
  • An Examination of the AFV Resale Market (PDF 1 MB)