Tips for Buying a Used Electric Car
Ellie Dyer-Brown, 1 month ago
5 min read
- Electric vehicles
- Car ownership
FixMyCar provides advice for motorists in the market for a used EV.
Buying a used electric car might feel daunting, especially if it’s your first time owning an EV. But armed with the right knowledge, anyone can confidently choose the perfect vehicle for them and save a bit of money by buying second-hand. This guide provides tips and advice to help you through the process.
Contents
Should I buy a second-hand electric car?
Pros and cons of buying a used electric car
How much are second-hand electric cars?
Top tips for buying a second-hand electric car
Should I buy a second-hand electric car?
Buying a used EV is worth considering if you want to save money. This is especially true if you can find one with a battery that is still under warranty because the manufacturer will repair or replace it for free if a problem develops.
Are second-hand EVs worth it?
Second-hand electric cars are cheaper to run than combustion engine vehicles and offer the same excellent reliability as newer models but with a much lower price tag. However, older cars will likely have less advanced technology and a lower range.
Whether you consider a used car ‘worth it’ will depend on what you’re looking for. We recommend drawing up a list of your priorities - for example, how much range you want - to help determine whether you can get a second-hand EV that matches your budget and meets your requirements.
Below, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of going green with a used car.
Pros and cons of buying a used electric car
Pros
Cheaper than buying a brand-new model. A 2024 Renault ZOE costs around £30,000 new, compared to £10-15,000 for the same car at one-year-old with a few thousand miles on the clock.
Lower running costs. EVs are cheaper to run and exempt from vehicle excise duty (VED, also known as road tax) until 2025.
Leasing options. Leasing an electric car is even more affordable.
Reliability. EVs are generally more reliable than petrol and diesel cars because they have fewer moving parts.
No Clean Air Zone charges. You can drive through Clean Air Zones and Low Emission Zones for free.
Performance. EVs can accelerate faster and pick up a decent amount of speed.
Cons
Less range over time. The battery in an EV gradually degrades, meaning it can hold less charge. Most electric cars have an eight-year battery warranty that guarantees 70% capacity, so a vehicle up to this age should be acceptable to buy second-hand.
Outdated technology. Older EVs have less advanced technology onboard and in the battery.
More regular charging. Older electric cars need charging more often, which might be problematic if you don’t have an at-home charging point.
Battery leasing. Some EVs come with an additional monthly charge for leasing the battery.
Higher insurance costs. EVs tend to have higher insurance ratings, resulting in a more expensive policy.
Lack of fun when driving. Electric cars are automatic, so they don’t require as much driver input, and they’re also very quiet, which some drivers see as a negative.
How much are second-hand electric cars?
Brand-new electric cars are still quite expensive compared to petrol and diesel models. But the good news is you can get a used EV for as little as £5,000. On average, electric vehicles depreciate 40-49% in the first three years after registration.
The price will depend on various factors, including:
The value of used EVs is falling, making them more accessible than ever. The table below shows the price difference of various electric cars between January and June 2023.
| Car | Average value on January 1st | Average value on June 30th |
|---|---|---|
| SEAT Mii Electric | £14,500 | £8,700 |
| Vauxhall Corsa-e | £17,300 | £11,463 |
| Kia Soul EV | £18,100 | £11,450 |
| Peugeot e-208 | £18,615 | £12,340 |
Top tips for buying a second-hand electric car
When buying a used electric car, you’ll need to consider:
Model-specific problems
Battery condition
Charging options
Model-specific problems
Whether you’re buying an EV or a petrol or diesel car, you should always research known problems with the models you’re interested in. FixMyCar has several common problem guides that may be useful, and it’s also worth checking online forums.
Use the information you find to make a checklist for when you do car viewings so that you know what issues to look for in advance.
Battery condition
Whenever you view a used car, always ask to see the battery capacity because EV batteries degrade over time. The last thing you want is to buy a used electric car and find that the battery is no good because replacing it will be expensive.
You should also look at the charging socket to make sure it’s not damaged and ask to see all the charging cables. Again, these can be expensive, so you ideally want them all present.
You can view the battery degradation of Tesla models through an online crowd-sourced feed. The data is impressive, showing around 7% degradation over 250,000 miles.
Maintenance
Maintaining an electric car is much simpler than a combustion engine vehicle. There are no spark plugs, cambelts or head gaskets to worry about. The main things to consider are tyre changes and keeping the screenwash topped up.
You should conduct the same checks as on a petrol or diesel car, inspecting the bodywork, tyres and interior. Although EVs are mechanically simpler, they still require regular servicing, so remember to ask the owner to see the service history.
Charging options
Charging your EV at home when you are busy doing other things is ideal. The best time to do it is overnight to save money. With this in mind, we recommend installing an at-home charger.
Another option worth investigating is workplace charging. Many businesses have charging points installed on their premises, with thousands of public charging points up and down the country.
What to look for when buying a used electric car
Below is a list of common problems experienced by electric cars - keep an eye out for these when you go to viewings, and if you think something isn’t right, walk away.
Common used EV problems
Battery degradation
Climate control can reduce range
Failure of in-car electronics
Software faults
Broken gadgets, e.g. touchscreens and cameras
Tyre and suspension wear due to the weight of the vehicle
Taking a second-hand EV for a test drive
Taking an electric car on a test drive is similar to an internal combustion vehicle. In addition to the usual things you need to be cautious of, such as illuminated dashboard warning lights, there are a few EV-specific things to consider.
EVs are - or should be - very quiet. Listen for unusual noises from the suspension or anywhere else, as these indicate something isn’t right.
Check the interior switches and indicators work.
Test the friction brakes for strange sounds, and make sure they haven’t been unevenly worn.
Give the different stages of brake regeneration a try (if applicable to the car) to make sure the system works as expected.
How to measure the health of an electric vehicle battery when buying a used car
You can check the battery’s health in a few different ways:
Using a battery testing kit
Estimating the battery’s duration by seeing how much it decreases on a test drive
Battery diagnostics on a manufacturer-specific app, such as the Nissan Leaf’s Leaf Spy
The best used EVs
Here are five EVs with a five-star rating from WhatCar?.
Tesla Model 3. Launched in 2019, the Model 3 (pictured above) has a range of between 254 and 329 miles, depending on the version you buy.
Kia EV6. The EV6 is spacious and very good to drive, with a range of around 263-328 miles on a full charge.
Skoda Enyaq. A great all-rounder, the Enyaq is comfortable, refined and practical, with a WLTP-tested range of around 340 miles.
BMW iX3. The iX3 has a great infotainment system and a longer range than most direct rivals at approximately 240 miles.
Renault Zoe. The best option if you’re on a budget is the Renault Zoe, which is cheap to buy and run and has a range of about 249 miles.
Used electric cars to avoid
The latest electric cars are generally reliable, but it hasn’t always been that way. Here are four older EVs you should avoid.
Reva G-Wiz. Technically classed as a quadricycle, which exempts it from the same safety standards as a regular car, the G-Wiz was produced between 2001 and 2011.
Mitsubishi iMiEV. The iMiEV is a sight for sore eyes, and with a claimed range of just 92 miles, it’s best left in the past.
Renault Fluence ZE. With the Fluence ZE (pictured above), Renault offered just one hundred miles of range. Enough said.
Mercedes B250e Electric Drive. There’s nothing strictly wrong with the B250e’s appearance or the way it drives - other than the measly 100 miles of range it offers.
Frequently asked questions
At the time of writing, no grants are available to help you buy a used electric car. However, you might be eligible for an EV charge point grant from the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). It offers people who own a flat or live in rented accommodation with dedicated off-street parking up to £350 towards buying and installing a charger.
Yes, you can, and doing so has even less impact on the planet than leasing a new model.
Electric cars depreciate (lose their value) by 40-49% in the first three years after they are made, which makes them much cheaper to buy second-hand. Concerns about battery longevity and slowing demand for new models are two additional reasons, though they have less impact than depreciation.
Looking for affordable car repairs or maintenance? Whatever you need, FixMyCar can help you find the right garage at the right price.
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Written by Ellie
Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Writer. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.