Second Hand Electric Cars

Second hand electric cars can be real bargains

How old is the car?

Electric vehicles are developing at a very fast rate.

2018 to 2023

New EVs released in 2020 were a big step up from those that came out in 2018 and even 2019. Tesla is the exception – their cars have been spectacular from the beginning. The new electric car models that came out in 2021, e.g. the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, Audi Q4 e-tron, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 represented another step forward. In 2022, a load more models came out and 2023 is being even more choice. A used car will soon no longer be a rarity for people looking to lower their carbon footprint and save money.

Range

So, if you are considering a used electric car, look first at how old the car is. Generally, the older the car, the shorter its range in miles on a full charge. The very first electric vehicles couldn’t do more than 100 miles on a single charge.

Features

Older 2^nd hand electric cars also tend to have fewer features, such as high performance regenerative braking, the ability to charge at a very fast rate, automated driving aids, reversing camera, and so on. The driving experience will normally be more basic.

Older can be better

However, if a used electric car from a few years ago has all the features and range you need, you could be onto a winner. The best cars for your particular circumstances are not necessarily the most recent models. If the cost is within your budget, go for it.

Appreciating assets

Finally – and surprisingly – some 2^nd hand EVs are actually going up in value at the moment. They are appreciating rather than depreciating. Why is that happening? Because the supply of new, low-cost electric cars is still fairly limited in 2022 due to the on-going semi-conductor shortage. Even a pricier used car like the Tesla Model 3 maintains its value incredibly well over time.

The battery and electric motor(s)

If you buy a second hand petrol / diesel car, you will want to know if the engine is in good condition.

It’s what makes the car ‘go’ and there is no point in purchasing a second hand car if the engine packs up a few weeks later. It’s the same with an EV. You need to establish if the battery and electric motor(s) are functioning properly.

Warranties

Electric cars have up to three warranties:

1. Covering the car as a whole
2. For the motor and powertrain
3. Covering the battery

The 2021 Nissan Leaf, for example, has a 3-year car warranty (or 60,000 miles), a 5-year motor and powertrain warranty (or 60,000 miles), and an 8-year battery warranty (or 100,000 miles).

The good news is that an electric car is much simpler than a conventional car. An EV has many fewer parts; much less to go wrong. So generally you would expect the car as a whole, including the electric motor(s), to be fairly robust.

Batteries

Batteries need to be considered separately.

We are all used to our mobile phones and laptops losing their charge more quickly, the older they get. This is known as ‘degradation’. A brand new iPhone might last a whole day on a single charge, but the same phone may only last 6 hours a day after 2 years of use.

Fortunately, the vast majority of electric car batteries were designed to take a real battering and still hold their charge very well over time. Batteries in the best used electric cars generally degrade very slowly in the real world. The EVs built 5 years ago are still running fine and degradation is usually very minor.

However, you should definitely check the state of the battery in any car you are looking to buy. You can often interrogate battery statistics from the driver’s seat. If in any doubt how to find the information, ask the owner and/or the manufacturer direct.

Used EVs – Other Factors to Consider

Other than the age of the electric car (which generally governs how advanced the features will be and the range) and the battery, working out which second hand car to buy is similar to considering any other used motor vehicle.

What you’d normally look for

• Has the car been involved in an accident (Category D)?
• Does it have a full service history?
• Is the exterior in good condition?
• Is the interior in good condition?
• How much of the manufacturer’s warranty is left?
• Etc.

Number of seats

If you live in a city where parking space is at a premium, you might want to drive a very small electric car. There are the cool, tiny 2-seaters from Smart: the EQ fortwo coupe and cabrio. This type of ultra-compact vehicle is not for everyone, but perfect for limited mileage.

There are also compact 4-seaters: for example the Mini Cooper Electric and the Honda e.

There are quite a few 5-seater, cheap second hand electric cars for sale in the UK to choose from. The ones that have been on the market for a little while include the Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, and the Kia Soul EV.

If you need more than 5 seats, then you are looking at the Tesla Model X. It can be configured as a 5-seater, 6-seater or 7-seater. However, you can’t change the seating configuration on demand – it comes in one of those three versions from the factory.

You might also have heard about so-called “self-charging hybrids” in the press or on television, such as the Toyota Prius. It’s important to know that self-charging hybrids are not very eco friendly when you drive them at normal speeds, and are not 100% battery electric cars.

Specialist Second Hand Electric Car Dealers

A number of dealers have sprung up focussing either exclusively or mainly on EVs.

Many are credit brokers as well – authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority – and can put you in touch with finance partners. Just because the car isn’t new doesn’t mean you can’t pay in monthly instalments, if you wish.

Here is a list of dealers specialising in second hand cars. Although their head offices are in a particular county, most of them will sell and deliver electric cars nationwide.

Some of the dealers’ websites have search functionality. If not, however, just tell them the type, price, age, charging rate, etc., you are looking for and they will tell you what they have available.

• JustEVs

  George Curl Way, Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire SO18 2RZ

• We Are EV

  Brook Cottage, Main Road, Easter Compton, Bristol BS35 5RH

• Ecarlogical

  Northarbour Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO6 3TJ

• Eco Cars

  11 Lyron, Rendall, Orkney KW17 2NZ

• Cleevely Electric Vehicles

  Unit 41a Lansdown Industrial Estate, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL51 8PS

• EV Sales

  Medway City Estate, Whitewall Centre, Whitewall Road, Rochester, Kent ME2 4DZ

• Drive Green

  Bristol Road, Emborough, Somerset BA3 4SL

• Electric Cars UK

  Wigan Road, Leyland, Lancashire PR25 5SB

• Go Green Autos

  Kingston Bagpuize, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX13 5AY

• EcoCars4Sale

  North Walsham Road, Beeston, Norwich, Norfolk NR12 7BY

Used Renault Zoe

Let’s look at some real-world EV examples.

Let’s say you’re looking for a Ford Fiesta like EV. A used Renault Zoe would be a perfect electric vehicle for you. The original model came out in 2012 and there have been various upgrades since then.

Example Pricing

It could be a relatively cheap route into EV ownership. For example, on Autotrader there are several used Renault Zoes with roughly the following spec:

• £10,500
• 2018 registration (18 reg)
• 6,500 miles
• 40 kWh battery
• Dynamique trim
• 5 seats
• 5 doors
• Automatic (like all EVs)

Prices at this level demonstrate that the best used EVs for sale now in the UK need not break the bank.

Nissan Leaf second hand

If you want a bigger car than the Zoe, you could go for the Nissan Leaf second hand. Also consider a Hyundai Ioniq Electric or a VW e-Golf as used electric cars.

Example Pricing

On Autotrader, this specification is fairly common for example for the Leaf:

• £8,500
• 2017 registration (67 reg)
• 20,000 miles
• 24 kWh battery
• Acenta trim
• 5 seats
• 5 doors
• Automatic (like all EVs)

This Leaf has a smaller battery than the Zoe example above, so range will be more limited.

Used BMW i3

Although it’s only a 4-seater, it’s got a lot going for it, namely:

1. Fantastic styling, inside and out
2. Very easy to park in tight spots
3. BMW build quality

Example Pricing

This is the kind of specification you can find either at independent dealers or on Autotrader:

• £13,500
• 2017 registration (66 reg)
• 60,000 miles
• 22 kWh battery
• 4 seats
• 5 doors
• Automatic (like all EVs)

Whereas the older Leafs look a bit dated now, the i3 still maintains a bang up-to-date, fresh, somewhat futuristic look. Definitely one to consider.

Used Tesla – final example

If you want to go upmarket and pick up a used Tesla, more and more second hand Teslas are becoming available as customers upgrade to newer models such as the Tesla Model 3 and the Model Y. Other prestige models becoming available include the Audi e-tron and the Jaguar I-Pace.

Example Pricing

We have found specs like this for the Model S:

• Tesla Model S
• £35,000
• 2016 registration (16 reg)
• 40,000 miles
• 70 kWh battery
• 5 seats
• 4 doors
• Automatic (like all EVs)