Electric vehicle charging isolated on white background
Used electric vehicles (EVs) are some of the most budget-friendly used cars on the market these days – largely due to slowing demand and relatively high depreciation. Thanks to depreciation, you may be able to get a newer EV with more features than if you bought a comparable gas-powered vehicle for the same price.
On the upside, most EV batteries last a long time and are covered by long and comprehensive warranties. But there are some significant downsides to be aware of, especially if you’re shopping for an EV that’s 10 years old or more. Consumer Reports (CR) says that reliability in EVs “isn’t on a par with gas cars or hybrids,” and some EVs are much easier to live with than others.
“The sweet spot for a used EV is one that’s still under its battery warranty but that’s depreciated enough for significant savings compared to a new one,” says Alex Knizek, associate director of auto test development at CR’s Auto Test Center. “You should also consider how long you plan to keep the car, and if the savings are worth it compared to buying a hybrid vehicle that may be more reliable in the long run.”
How Long Will the Battery Last?
The batteries that power EVs are designed to last a long time, but they don’t last forever, and they’re expensive to replace. In a 2023 Consumer Reports reliability survey, 17% of 2013 Tesla Model S owners said their cars needed battery pack replacements costing $15,000. Recurrent, a firm that measures EV battery performance, found that 13% of EVs older than 2015 needed battery replacements. By comparison, only 1% of EVs newer than 2016 needed new batteries.
What Is the Warranty on EV Batteries?
Despite those concerns, buyers of newer used EVs shouldn’t have to worry about paying for a battery replacement. Nearly all EVs have a battery warranty that lasts 8 years or 100,000 miles, and also covers battery-related components such as the battery control module. A few EVs have even longer warranties, and they are transferable to new owners.
Battery warranties will often spell out their terms and conditions in a vehicle owner’s manual, which can be found online.
Are Used EVs Reliable?
CR’s exclusive owner survey data shows that most older EVs have below-average reliability and that even newer EVs lag behind gas-powered cars and hybrids. This is largely because it often takes a few years to work out bugs in new technology, and also because many EVs are luxury, tech-laden cars with more features that can go wrong, Knizek says. For this reason, Consumer Reports recommends that shoppers interested in a new EV should consider leasing instead of buying.
There are no spark plugs to replace or engine oil to change, so EVs require less scheduled maintenance than cars with gas engines – which is a big bonus. As long as your used EV remains under a factory warranty – or if you purchase a certified pre-owned car with an extended factory warranty – you could save money on operating costs compared with a gas-powered car.
If you’re interested in a used EV, Consumer Reports recommends checking to make sure it has the latest software and doesn’t have any open recalls.
How Fast Do Used EVs Charge?
If you plan to charge while on the road, you should know that some older EVs charge a lot more slowly than others. The majority of older EVs have a maximum charging acceptance rate of 50 kW, which means they won’t be able to benefit from fast chargers capable of 100 kW, 150 kW, or even 350 kW.
Most newer EVs charge at much faster speeds and tend to be more efficient, which means more miles of range added per time spent charging. Slower charging speeds can also be a problem for home charging. Keep in mind that installing a charger can also be pricey, and that public charging is often a lot more expensive than charging at home – putting the cost more closely in line with what you would pay for gas.
How Do You Check a Used EV’s Battery Health?
All EV batteries lose some range over time. That’s not a big deal for longer-range vehicles, but it could really curtail the usefulness of some older EVs with short ranges. It’s important to keep an eye on battery health if you’re purchasing a vehicle that’s close to the end of its battery warranty.
The simplest way is to fully charge an EV’s battery and compare the estimated range readout on the dashboard to the original EPA estimate. Before you schedule a test drive, ask the dealership or seller for a photo of the dashboard showing the car’s range estimate after it’s been plugged in overnight. They may have to go into the vehicle’s settings and manually increase the maximum charge capacity to 100% first. When you drive, make sure the range estimate and battery state-of-charge percentage indicators don’t drop significantly.
Just keep in mind that many factors affect real-world EV range. On a cold day, your range estimate could drop by 25%. The same is true for using accessories such as a heater or driving on the highway.
Services such as Recurrent use real-world vehicle data to predict a vehicle’s expected range and how it will change in three years. The company collects data from about 25,000 EVs and uses it – including odometer readings, battery configuration, dashboard range estimates, location, and some basic aspects of vehicle history – to predict battery health for similar vehicles, even if they haven’t had their batteries analyzed.
Third-party tools that plug into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics port (known as an OBD-II) can also analyze the health of an EV battery directly. Services like vsNew allow dealerships to translate the results into easy-to-read battery health reports. You can also get a basic battery health report from a mechanic or purchase an OBD-II scanner and software to do tests on your own.
Is There Anything Else You Should Look for When Buying a Used EV?
EVs have fewer moving parts to inspect than gas-powered vehicles, but you’ll want to check the tires. Because of their increased weight and instant torque, EVs tend to wear out tires more quickly than conventional vehicles. Bring a quarter to the dealership: If the top of George Washington’s head is just visible when placed head first in a tread groove, the tread has about 4⁄32 of an inch depth, which means it’s time to start shopping for replacements.
Some early EVs were sold in small numbers and could have little in common with newer models, which could make it more difficult to find replacement parts and knowledgeable repair technicians compared with a more mainstream model, says Michael Crossen, lead automotive technician at CR. Although dealerships should still be able to fix problems, independent shops might not have as much experience.
In addition, some older EVs relied on now-discontinued cellular networks for connectivity, and owners may not be able to schedule charging, adjust climate control, or check battery levels remotely as a result.
Source: Consumer Reports
