The used vehicle market in Portugal recorded year-on-year growth of 9% in demand and 11% in supply in August. The category of automobiles below 15 thousand euros continues to be the only price range where demand growth exceeds supply growth. For cars above 30 thousand euros, the average expected selling time decreased, which may be related to the growing importance and high turnover of electric vehicles in this price range.
Average advertised prices of used vehicles continue to rise, although detailed analysis reveals that this increase does not necessarily represent real used car inflation, being mainly explained by the composition effect of stock. The transfer of ownership of passenger cars showed a decrease of 23%, while vehicle imports grew 2.4% in August, with 10,163 cars imported.
The new car segment continued to accelerate in August, with passenger vehicle registrations growing 8.4% compared to the same period last year. New 100% electric cars represented approximately 36.1% of total new passenger cars registered, highlighting the accelerated pace of electrification in the new vehicle market.
Pedro Soares, head of sales at Standvirtual, stated that the market is entering the final stretch of 2026 with very different challenges for new and used vehicles. According to the executive, while the new car market maintains solid growth driven by electrification, used vehicles face greater pressure between supply and demand, and the challenge for industry professionals is increasingly less about securing inventory and more about securing the right inventory, at the right price, and with adequate rotation capacity.
