I am planning to buy a used electric car soon.
I actually don’t know much about EVs or cars in general. I just want to know if there is a hidden downside to buying a four-year-old electric car.
For example, starting in 2020, Hyundai Kona Electric is now selling at a reasonable price. They are driven between 20.000 and 40.000 kilometres.
I think there are no major complications because for example my brother drives a used 2020 Kona and adores the damned thing. The car runs well, with no issues other than slow-ish DCFC. If the price is right for you, just buy it.
Let me just share my experience. My husband purchased a four-year low-mileage eGolf a few years ago. The price was favourable and the car was great. I don’t care about tech in newer cars. We have put 60k miles on it and no issues. I would purchase a used EV again without hesitation.
Therefore just go for it let now the milage hinder you from acquiring your dream car.
Old or new, it is still a car at the end of the day. If it still has bearings, suspension, and other important features. If I were you, I would at least take it to a suspension specialist to have that stuff reviewed besides what the battery components and computer tell you. If it is good, then just buy it.
I think the battery will be the main concern in your car. You are going to get around 150-200k km and in that case, you will have to replace it, costing in the realm of what a new used car would cost you.
Maybe you won’t make it to that point in mileage for a very very long time but if you are driving that little you are also not going to need to spend a lot on gas if you have an ICE. Just do you research on the running cost and make your own decision.
My wife bought a used Chevy Bolt after they recalled them and replaced the battery. The new battery GM put in was given a guarantee of 100k miles. He paid a little over 20k and I think that was a great deal. The car is still running after sometime without any issues.
My parents just bought a low-mileage 2020 Chevy Bolt and they love it. The battery capacity is probably no longer 100%, but they can still get about 200 mile range at 80% charge.
Is what you are looking at still under warranty If yes, then buy it and you won’t regret.
Let me share my thoughts here; I think everyone buying electric cars now is about 10 years too early to the game. This is because all the cars bought now will be rendered nearly worthless once near battery tech comes out over the next 10 years. I think within 10 years the range of electric cars will probably double. The no-brainer thing to do is buy a plug in hybrid that gets 50+ mpg and 700+ miles of range.
My opinion though.
If I were you, I would buy a Bolt, or model Y but not really a downside unless you are buying an older “bad EV” like a Nissan Leaf or a Chevy Spark EV.
I think if you get one with chademo charging that network is not very good. Some 4-year-old models have slower charging in general but not a big deal usually.
You should keep in mind the battery degradation. Beyond that, I am seeing some phenomenal values for used EVs right now.