Buying a used Electric Vehicle from a used car dealership can potentially save you a lot of money. However, buying a used EV isn’t quite the same as buying a used vehicle that runs on combustion. There are a few things to look out for and consider before buying.
Battery Degradation
Probably the biggest issue when buying a used EV is that lithium-ion batteries are prone to degradation over time. In fact, this is true of all batteries of this type, whether it’s EVs or mobile electronic devices. The more the battery degrades, the less charge it can hold. For EVs, this means your range will be affected. The level of battery degradation in a used EV depends on various factors. Fast charging tends to cause a faster rate of degradation. The same goes for overcharging, fully discharging, and operating at high temperatures. These are all things you can’t really see when you look at a used EV. However, the good news is that EVs typically keep track of battery health. For example, the Nissan Leaf features a dedicated screen to show how much its battery has degraded. Another example is that Tesla claims its batteries still have over 90% of capacity after 200,000 miles. Not all EV models and makers can claim the same.
Limited Choices
Despite how it may appear in the media, EVs only accounted for 2.2% of the automotive market share last year in the United States. There are only an estimated 1.8 million EVs on the road in America right now, which is quite a bit less than the 289.5 million currently registered American vehicles. That essentially means that EVs aren’t all that popular in America. The lack of numbers and popularity also means that the used market isn’t very big. If you search used car dealerships for EV models, you’re likely to have a lot less to choose from versus looking for gas cars or hybrids.
Old Cars Means Older Tech
This is potentially true for all used cars, but it’s especially worth considering when it comes to a used EV. Electric vehicles are at the hot point of cutting-edge technology innovation right now, which means that things are changing rapidly, often from year to year. An EV that’s only a few years old could be quite outdated compared to what’s being released today. As with batteries, some automakers have thought ahead with earlier models, while others haven’t done quite enough. The other problem is that buying used limits you to whatever the original owner chose for their vehicle. Buying new allows you to customize with the latest features.
Ultimately, if you’re interested in buying an EV, there’s no harm in looking at EV inventory at used car dealerships. You might come across a great deal. However, if you’re concerned about getting the latest features, incentives, and a fresh battery, a new EV might be a better choice.
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