Electric automobiles have barely been around for ten years. In those short years, however, the technology that underpins them has advanced significantly. Ecologists, scientists, and engineers are continually working to discover innovative ways for people to drive on the road without polluting the environment. Having an electric vehicle takes you one step closer to lowering your carbon footprint.
When looking for a secondhand electric car, people are constantly hoping to discover a hidden gem: a car that is economical to buy, maintain, and is “gas-efficient.”
Bought a second-hand electric vehicle would check all those boxes if you have a spot to plug in — and that’s a big if. Buying and maintaining an electric car is much less expensive than buying and maintaining a comparable secondhand gas-powered vehicle.
In 2019, the UK sold 2.3 million new automobiles compared to 7.9 million used cars, with differently powered vehicles (particularly hybrids) accounting for 1.7% of second-hand sales. With 135,516 transactions, that’s a 23.4% raise.
Range anxiety and the accuracy of the dashboard range predictions are two common issues among drivers who come to us seeking a used EV. In addition, they’re usually accurate because they reflect recent mileage (along with driving style) and ambient temperature.
If battery demand is high, most EVs would display a warning on the dashboard and offer ECO modes to avoid severe range loss.
A widespread misperception is that the battery will need to be replaced if it fails. A battery cell will probably break over time, although it isn’t a tragedy.
EV batteries are made up of thousands of cells, and it is sometimes cheaper to fix a single cell, which is frequently covered by the company’s guarantee.
Degradation hasn’t been nearly as bad as many people think and has only had a little impact on the vehicle’s performance over time. Your ten-year-old EV’s range, for instance, may be 73 miles instead of the 80 miles it had when it was new.
Read Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Vehicles or Electric Cars
Should You Buy a Used Electric Car?
We thought we’d take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of buying a used electric car because the used EV market is expected to grow rapidly (there are currently over 265,000 on UK roads).
Buying a used electric vehicle is similar to buying a used gasoline or diesel vehicle in that you must check the documents and the vehicle’s history, among other things. Whenever it leads to the viewing and test drive, though, there’s a lot less information available.
You could inspect the car’s external appearance, as well as its performance and brakes, while test drive, even without an oil dipstick, for example, you’ll have to rely on decent service history and low mileage.
The excellent thing is that electric vehicles have fewer parts than gasoline-powered vehicles, which means there are fewer things that can go wrong.
Is buying a used electric vehicle anything different from buying a used conventional vehicle? For some people, owning an electric vehicle is not the best option.
Here are a few reasons why you should or should not buy a secondhand electric vehicle.
Read Difference between an electric car and hybrid car
Why Should You Buy a Used Electric Car?
The expense of new EVs is still a lot higher than that of conventional vehicles, so the people who need an all the more harmless to the ecosystem ride.
However, those who need to set aside some money will generally hope to purchase a pre-owned EV. But, before you buy a used electric ride, you ought to consider a couple of things.
As indicated by car experts, the standard cost of a pre-owned EV in the U.S. is $25,500. While that is still a tremendous amount of cash to spend in one go, that is still $1,900, not exactly the least expensive EV presently on unique in the United States — the $27,400 Nissan Leaf 2022.
All in all, you could save yourself a considerable amount of cash by purchasing utilized. Also, to make it seriously tempting, you can, for the most part, drive away with your new vehicle immediately — as opposed to sitting tight for it to be worked to arrange.
Yet, before you buy a pre-owned EV, the following are a couple of things you need to consider.
Battery Degradation May Become an Issue
The primary issue about purchasing a pre-owned EV is that lithium-particle batteries will generally debase over the long run. That is valid for all batteries, from EVs to cell phones.
The more a battery has corrupted, the less charge it can hold, and that implies your driving range is influenced subsequently.
How much a battery corrupts contrasts dependent on various variables. Quicker charging speeds will generally reason a lot higher pace of debasement, as does working at high temperatures, cheating, and completely releasing the battery, which are all variables you can’t actually see just by checking out the vehicle.
Luckily electric vehicles monitor their battery wellbeing, so you can perceive how much debasement has happened before you purchase.
The Nissan Leaf, for instance, has a devoted screen explicitly for showing how much the battery has debased.
Proprietors on the Leaf gatherings likewise suggest utilizing applications like LeafSpy, which can regularly give you admittance to the vehicle’s data and details, just accessible through a vendor or service provider computer.
In any case, it merits bringing up that not all EV batteries are something similar, and a few organizations are superior to other people. Tesla, for instance, asserts that its batteries actually have over 90% of their total limit subsequent to traveling 200,000 miles.
All in all, the Tesla you’ve been looking at isn’t probably going to have a similar reach and battery corruption issues as one of its rivals.
Read Can You Use Bitcoin to Buy an Electric Car?
Your Choices Are More Restricted
Last year, electric vehicles just represented 2.2% of the car piece of the pie in the United States, and it’s assessed that there are 1.8 million EVs on American streets at this moment.
Fundamentally under 289.5 million enrolled vehicles on the roads, it implies EVs genuinely aren’t just well known. Not in the U.S. at any rate.
Normally that affects the accessibility of pre-owned vehicles. Less electric cars on the streets imply there are fewer vehicles accessible to enter the pre-owned market once the proprietor trades it for a novel, new thing.
So, you will be genuinely restricted in what you can purchase, contrasted with purchasing a pre-owned fuel vehicle.
Car experts have noticed that interest for EVs has additionally begun to dominate supply, which is the reason the normal expense of a pre-owned EV has ascended from $20,000 to $25,500 since last July.
To be reasonable, this is likewise an issue looked at by the whole pre-owned vehicle market, particularly with the worldwide chip lack restricting the creation of new vehicles.
To finish that off, it shows up there is a colossal interest for utilized Teslas, making them that bit harder to get hold of. It must be where some pre-owned Tesla models are, in reality, more costly than their shiny new partners. Which doesn’t bode well, yet that is how it is.
Check Can You Jumpstart an Electric Car?
You’ll Have Issues Charging It
New or utilized, each electric vehicle needs an approach to re-energize. In addition, on the grounds that public chargers aren’t as normal or advantageous as service stations, your most ideal choice is to have a charger introduced at home.
You can utilize public chargers if you live in the perfect spot, or you could plug straight into a divider power source; however, they are never the most advantageous alternatives.
For one charging from a divider, attachment requires the right connector, which can go for a couple of hundred dollars, and it takes fundamentally more to re-energize.
What amount of time it requires to charge an electric vehicle relies upon the vehicle, obviously, yet even a little 40 kWh Nissan Leaf will take around 15 hours to go from zero to 100% from a 120V outlet.
A level 2 ‘quick’ charger, which offers at least 7kW charging speeds, implies you can top up your vehicle in only a couple of hours. So much of the time, you’d have the option to connect your vehicle and pass on it to re-energize for the time being.
Be that as it may, the establishment costs cash, and as indicated by Fixr, the U.S. public normal is somewhere in the range of $1,000 and $2,500
That said, there likely could be economic motivating forces relying upon where you reside, with nearby or state governments willing to take care of part of the expense of introducing a home vehicle charger.
So, make certain to do your exploration and work out precisely how much cash you could save money on the posting cost.
The Older the Car, the Older the Tech
While this point is really minor all in all, it is worth focusing on that trade-in vehicles are, obviously, more established.
Furthermore, since the tech inside them is close to difficult to update cost adequately once the vehicle has been fabricated, you’re left with that equivalent tech for quite a long time to come.
That is valid for any vehicle; however, it’s particularly remarkable with EVs. Electric vehicles are a hotbed of mechanical advancement, particularly where independence is concerned.
Over the air programming refreshes are conceivable, and any semblance of Tesla and Cadillac can update your vehicle’s product includes on the fly, yet there’s no changing the equipment.
That implies if an automaker hasn’t thought far enough ahead, you will pass up new advancements as the years pass by. Similarly, purchasing utilized means, you are restricted to whatever is on offer.
So, in addition to the fact that you are restricted by what alternatives the first proprietor chose they required, you’re likewise restricted by the number of individuals with top-level provisions who are really surrendering their vehicles.
You Can’t Get Incentives on Used Electric Cars
Different governments and nearby specialists offer motivating forces to urge individuals to purchase electric vehicles. Anyway, most of these motivations, including the $7,500 U.S. government tax reduction, just apply to new electric vehicles.
That might change later on, and there might be some different motivators relying upon where you reside. The Affordable EVs for Working Families Act has proposed a $2,500 government tax break on qualified utilized EVs, and the California Clean Vehicle Assistance Program will present up to $5,000 off the cost of a qualified utilized EV.
As a rule, the sum you see on a pre-owned EV posting is the sum you’ll pay. Be that as it may, it’s as yet worth checking if your state or regional government offers any monetary motivations on utilized EV buys before you purchase.
Read Electric Car with Solar Panels
What Are The Benefits Of Buying a Used Electric Vehicle?
Purchasing a used electric automobile rather than a new or even used traditional gas-powered vehicle has numerous advantages.
Spend Less
The expense of powering an EV for a mile varies depending on the tariff, although it’s expected to be roughly 2-3p, contrasted to 11-13p for a normal diesel car.
Good For Environment
An electric vehicle, unlike a gas-powered vehicle, does not emit exhaust pollutants that cause global warming. If your local power plant generates electricity for your EV using renewable energy, there is no contamination from that source as well.
Also, the claim that an electric vehicle harms the environment by drawing power from a coal-fired power station has been widely debunked.
Furthermore, buying a used EV helps the environment much more than buying a new one. Because of their uniqueness, EVs have a significantly higher carbon footprint when they are constructed.
To put it another way, a used EV will have already been driven to the point where it has a positive environmental impact.
Reliability
Since electric cars have fewer components and experience less wear and tear, they are less costly to repair than gasoline and diesel automobiles.
Moving to an EV is predicted to save 20-30% on maintenance and service expenses, which is considerable, particularly as automobiles age and become less reliable.
Tax Advantages
Business users could save thousands of pounds each year in addition to paying no road tax. Purely electric automobiles will pay no corporate car tax in 2020/21, only 1% in 2021/22, and 2% in 2022/23, according to recent tax reforms.
Comfortable Driving
Electric automobiles provide a more luxurious driving experience than pricey gas-powered vehicles due to their quiet and smooth operation. The battery’s extra weight will help it seem more secure down the road.
If you’ve ever ridden in or driven a traditional car, you’re probably aware of how rough and full of vibrations it is. When it comes to electric vehicles, you’re sure to have some issues.
Read What is the World’s Fastest Electric Car
What Are The Drawbacks of Buying a Used EV?
It’s critical to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of purchasing a used electric vehicle. Since there are numerous advantages, there are also disadvantages, such as:
Charging
If your home’s electrical wiring is ancient, you should probably replace it before purchasing your first used electric car. An electric car’s changing needs must be accommodated in a home. If you are unfamiliar with this cost, it may come as a surprise.
Higher maintenance expenses and the cost of arranging a charging station at your residence may consume your potential profits.
Charging stations are not cheap; they charge depending on the amount, with some charging each session, by the hour, and others charging at set rates.
Technology Rapidly Updated
These electric vehicles, such as any other electrical device or high-tech device, can become obsolete with time.
For others, this may not be an issue, but there may come a day when there would be no service accessible for an outdated vehicle. When a new model of the car is introduced, the software could also change quickly.
Battery Lease
Test to see if the battery pack is available when purchasing a used electric vehicle. Many earlier EV batteries (– for example, the Renault Zoe) were leased to lower the car’s original purchase value so if your used Electric vehicle has a leased battery, you’ll need to budget at least £49 a month.
Price of Purchase
Depreciation affects all vehicles because they all lose worth over time Electric automobiles, on the other hand, have historically lost a lot of value due to their relatively high initial pricing.
Meanwhile, as newer, more affordable EVs become available and purchasers see older electric vehicles safely navigating the roads, opinions would shift.
Read 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Purchase an Electric Car
What to Look for When Buying a Used Electric Car
The most serious problem with electric automobiles, especially old electric vehicles, is how effectively the batteries maintain their charge.
If you buy a car that has difficulties keeping its battery charged, you’ll have to think about the expense of a battery replacement.
It could be quite expensive, though most manufacturers now provide large battery warranties which must cover any problems.
Aside from that, you may approach a secondhand EV, in the same manner, you would a regular automobile.
Ensure that all of the electrics function – EVs are normally well-equipped, so ensure all of the gadgets are working – and keep a keen eye out for wheel degradation that could spread to the suspension behind it, as most electric vehicles would have been driven in town.
Read Do Electric Cars Have Petrol Backup?
1. Look Out for Warranty
Every latest electric car produced in the State consists of a complete warranty that may be transferred to the next owner. As with conventional gas-powered vehicles, the validity of these warranties changes from company to company.
In general, every electric car’s battery packs are supported by a guarantee that lasts longer than other types of vehicle. Usually, battery packs have an eight-year/100,000-mile or ten-year/150,000-mile warranty.
Remember when searching for a vehicle, and always check the warranty’s remaining duration. If the warranty has been revoked for any circumstance, move away and look for another vehicle.
Read Are Electric Cars Cheap To Insure?
2. Dimensions of the Battery
Always double-check the vehicle’s features and papers because, except battery size, many vehicles are identical. The range is proportional to the battery life, which is specified in kilowatt-hours (kWh)
3. Check the Brakes
The friction caused by braking is used by several electric vehicles to assist replenish the battery. As a result, the brakes on an electric vehicle would wear slightly differently.
However, you’ll only have to be cautious on the test drive until you remove the wheel and examine how much brake pad is remaining.
Ensure the car brakes uniformly and in a straight line at the very least. If it has several levels of security, that’s even better.
Read How Electric Car Air Conditioning Works
4. Style and Accessories
Although some early electric versions were odd, many today have a current style that is similar to that of traditional gasoline or diesel vehicles.
They’ll usually have all of the main characteristics you’d expect in a conventionally fuelled vehicle, such as a radio, navigation, and air conditioning, although electric vehicles would usually have additional functions, such as the option to pre-set climate control before entering (which uses mains power to avoid exhausting your battery) as well as many versions incorporate semi-autonomous capabilities.
5. Check Out Service History
Checking the service history is similar for any car. The quality of a used car is only as good as the individual selling it to you. While it’s tempting to assume that electric vehicles require less upkeep, this is still a car with wear and tear parts.
Although electric cars have fewer moving components than their internal combustion-engined predecessors, they nevertheless require certain items.
6. Make Sure the Battery Is Leased
The majority of electric vehicles now have their batteries rather than leased ones.
The Renault Zoe is an anomaly since it is still available with an option of owned or leased battery when purchased new, although most, if not all, new Electric cars on the market in the UK currently have owned batteries.
Until several years ago, it was more customary to lease an electric vehicle’s battery.
This was primarily done to make the process less risky for EV buyers, as any battery that failed or experienced a significant loss of productivity will be substituted under the leasing agreement.
Leasing electric vehicle batteries lower the cost of ownership. You’re more possible to reach across leased batteries if you purchase a used Electric car; for instance, a few of the older Leaves and Zoes have leased batteries.
You’ll have to sign a battery leasing deal with the manufacturer if you acquire a used Vehicle with leased batteries.
Read What kind of batteries used in electric cars
7. Check Charging Points
Examine that all of the needed charging cords are provided with the automobile and are in good working condition, in addition to the battery. You should also think about the practicalities and cost of putting a charger in your home.
If you reside in a terrace or flat with no off-street parking or charging, it’s important to look into the availability of quick, public charging stations in your area.
8. Purchase Cost
Electric vehicles last for a long time, and the variety of types available ensures that there is something to suit any wallet. Although the used Tesla Model S may be out of grasp for many of us, there are several used electric vehicles under £7000 on the market.
It’s critical to double-check listed costs to ensure that the battery is incorporated In most situations, it would be, but several Renaults and certain early Nissan Leaf models have leased batteries, which signifies you’ll have to account for an extra monthly expense.
Read 10 Electric Cars That Are Worth Buying (under £30,000)
Are There Any Used Electric Cars That You Should Stay Away From?
When looking for the best used electric vehicles, keep an eye out for the following red flags:
- Manufacturers who have gone out of business.It’s recommended to avoid purchasing an old electric vehicle company makes that is no longer in existence. The Coda Electric Sedan, for instance, was first launched in 2012, but the corporation went out of business a few years later. It might also be difficult to obtain components or have these vehicles maintained.
- Do not buy a used electric car that has been driven in severely hot or cold temperatures. Because extreme temperatures could harm the battery, it’s advisable to stay away from these vehicles.
You must have no issue locating the ideal secondhand electric car for your needs if you ignore vehicles with these risk factors.
Read How to travel in electric cars
Does A Used Electric Car Make Sense for Me?
Utilized electric vehicles bode well for some purchasers; however, it relies upon your driving propensities and your circumstance.
Some electric vehicles have a battery scope of less than 100 miles, so those models won’t accommodate your everyday needs if you have a long drive.
Nonetheless, similar to the Tesla Model S, other utilized EVs can be driven a lot farther on a charge, so they would accommodate your day-by-day way of life. If in case you have a long drive, utilized electric vehicles with a scope of fewer than 100 miles might, in any case, bode well as a second or third vehicle that you could use for transportation on the ends of the week or for getting things done after work.
Continuously check the assessed battery range on an electric vehicle prior to purchasing.
Many individuals are additionally purchasing utilized electric vehicles for new drivers. In these circumstances, certain models’ restricted battery drive scope can be a benefit until the driver gets more insight.
Young people are likewise attracted to utilized EVs since they can charge them at home and stay away from the expense of gas, which isn’t just about as low as it used to be.
Read How to Wash an Electric Car
Are Used Electric Cars Cheap?
Many individuals that buy another electric vehicle decide to rent for a term of a few years. The outcome is a steady inventory of low mileage utilized electric vehicles in an extraordinary condition that can be bought for a small amount of the expense of another EV.
Most electric vehicles likewise devalue quicker than customary gas-controlled vehicles because the market is more modest, and most purchasers are after the most recent battery innovation, which as a rule, offers really driving reach.
Notwithstanding, similar to any pre-owned car, evaluating fluctuates for vehicles in normal condition.
Some pre-owned electrics deteriorate quicker than others. For example, top models like the Tesla Model S deteriorate slower than the Nissan Leaf or Fiat 500e.
This is because there’s simply more interest in the outstanding quality Tesla, which offers more reach and seating limit than the more modest Nissan, Fiat, and different models.
When new, the Tesla additionally cost fundamentally more than the Nissan Leaf, Fiat 500e, and other more reasonable models like the BMW i3, Ford Focus EV, and Volkswagen e-Golf. This will be reflected in their pre-owned costs.
The Tesla Model 3 is the brand’s most affordable model. It’s one more conceivable alternative for utilized EV purchasers.
However, Tesla didn’t actually start up conveyances of the Model 3 until 2018, so there aren’t as many utilized models out there.
This keeps their estimating higher as they haven’t yet gotten an opportunity to deteriorate fundamentally.
Read Cost Of Running Electric Car Vs Petrol In UK
What Should You Look for When Buying a Used Electric Car?
When purchasing any pre-owned vehicle, give it an intensive assessment. Albeit a pre-owned electric vehicle is fueled uniquely in contrast to a pre-owned gas-controlled vehicle, large numbers of its different capacities and provisions aren’t diverse by any stretch of the imagination, and they ought to be completely looked at.
You ought to likewise consistently investigate a vehicle face to face. A few issues will not show in photographs; however, you’ll see them when strolling around and sitting in the vehicle.
A vehicle that examines awesome and top condition in photographs may really be in normal condition when you see it face to face. Likewise, step through an exam drive to ensure it performs appropriately, and you like driving it.
During the test drive, notice how electric vehicles offer quick force off the line when you hit the choke.
FAQs
Yes, it is OK to buy a used electric car. Electric cars have very few moving parts and are much simpler than gasoline cars, so they are less likely to need expensive repairs. In addition, electric cars have a longer lifespan than gasoline cars. A study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that electric cars have a lifespan of about 250,000 miles, while gasoline cars only last for about 150,000 miles. So if you buy a used electric car, you can expect to keep it for longer than if you buy a used gasoline car.
Buying a used electric car is a great way to save money and help the environment. Electric cars are becoming more and more popular, so there are plenty of options when it comes to finding a used electric car.
When buying a used electric car, be sure to do your research and ask lots of questions. It’s important to make sure you’re getting a reliable car that will last for years. Ask the seller about the history of the car, how often it’s been serviced, and what kind of battery life it has left.
Electric cars are a great investment, and they’re perfect for anyone who wants to save money and help the environment.
There is no definitive answer, as the risks involved in used electric car purchases will vary depending on the specific make and model of car in question.
However, some factors to consider include battery life (the older the battery, the shorter its lifespan) and whether the car has been damaged in any way.
Additionally, it’s important to do your research on which models are best suited for used electric car purchases – not all cars are created equal when it comes to re-selling value.
Electric cars are becoming more and more popular, and for good reason- they’re eco-friendly, economical, and fun to drive! If you’re in the market for a used electric car, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
First of all, it’s important to make sure that the car has been well taken care of. Ask the seller how often the car has been serviced, and take a look at the condition of the battery and other electrical components.
The longer an electric car has been on the road, the more wear and tear it will have endured, so it’s important to be extra careful when buying one secondhand.
The Bottom Line
Purchasing and owning an electric vehicle is a unique car experience. Electric vehicles have several powerful upsides and downsides that you must carefully examine before purchasing.
However, once you’ve decided how you’ll spend, the purchase can make sense. Buying a good used electric car is similar to buying any other old car.
They’re available through new car dealerships, which frequently offer used EVs as part of their Certified Pre-Owned programs. They’re also often advertised by private parties and used automobile dealers.
To get a sense of what’s available, look up local dealer inventories online. Certified Pre-Owned dealers keep their current inventory up to date on their websites, and these vehicles are properly tested before even being presented. They’ll also have a clean vehicle background report and lesser mileage examples.
An electric vehicle can be purchased for a very low price. You would not need a nickel on gas, and you would not spend more upon charging either if you have the appropriate arrangement.
Many of the service and maintenance fees that typical used-car owners face will be avoided. To put it another way, though the car’s resale worth is poor, you could get a huge benefit out of it.
You could use Craigslist and eBay to look for reviews from smaller used car dealers and private parties. However, do not tell anybody your details until you’re ready to buy the car and finalize the paperwork.
My name is Matthew, staying in Seattle, Washington. Electric Vehicles (Electric Cars & Electric bikes) caught my attention for the last few years and my love for electric cars and bikes is everlasting. I spend many of my weekends traveling to various places all over various cities with my electric vehicle (e-bike and electric car). Here I am sharing my expertise, experience, and invaluable information about electric cars and electric bikes. Check out more.