Top Tips for Buying a Used EV

Electric car batteries degrade over time and with age, often losing around 1 to 2% of their battery capacity per year. Battery condition reports can help to provide you with an idea of the current battery capacity of the used EV you’re interested in. Moving forward with your EV, you can help to reduce battery degradation by keeping your car charged between 20 and 80% and avoiding overuse of rapid charging.

Make sure to check the charging cables and any other charging hardware is fully functional and in good working order. If needs be, replacement charging cables can be purchased but they can be expensive, so it’s best to check what’s included with the used EV you’re interested in.  

With any car purchase, whether an electric vehicle or not, it is essential to check the paperwork that comes with your vehicle. Getting hold of the vehicle’s service history can help give insight into past repairs and give additional peace of mind. If you’re looking to get your used EV serviced after you purchase, be sure to ask about any software upgrades that are available to boost your electric car’s performance and add any additional features.  

Most EVs come with comprehensive warranty packages that cover around 8 years or up to 100,000 miles, such as Geely or OMODA and JAECOO for example. This means that most used electric cars are still covered by their initial warranty. Keep an eye out for manufacturers like Kia, MG and Polestar who also offer a battery performance guarantee, guaranteeing a minimum of 70% capacity after a period of around 7 or 8 years. These guarantees mean that should your battery degrade further, the manufacturer will cover repair or replacement costs.

Some early electric vehicles were offered with battery leasing contracts. This was introduced to help make buying an electric car more affordable at the time, with the option to rent the battery at a separate cost to the car itself. Older model styles such as the Nissan LEAF and Renault Zoe are the most commonly occurring models with leased batteries, so make sure to ask the question, particularly if you’re looking at one of these models. Battery leases can typically cost between £50 to £90 per month, so make sure to consider whether this option suits you and your budget.