Should you buy a used electric car?

If you’re thinking about buying a used electric car, one of the first questions you might want to answer is: will I have to replace the battery?

Typically, the attainable range of an EV drops by around 2% each year. The exact amount will depend on the owner’s driving and charging habits.

To check how far a vehicle you’re considering buying can go, ask to see its range when fully loaded. By comparing this to the range specifications of the vehicle when new*, you will see how much the battery capacity has been reduced. Don’t compare it to a newer model as these tend to have much larger batteries and therefore can drive further.

Once you know how much you can drive it per charge, you can judge if the car will suit your driving needs for as long as you plan to own it.

*Although be careful, older and overly generous vehicle test cycles mean that the originally stated range may be overstated, often by more than 30%.