abdo. Posted July 12, 2020 Posted July 12, 2020 There's no need to be intimidated by the prospect of buying a second-hand EV, given the wealth of dealer and aftermarket resources on offer to advise and support owners taking their first steps into the world of electrification. The nature of their powertrains, performance and construction, however, does mean that the process for identifying a good one isn’t the same as for a combustion-engined car. There’s no oil to dip, clutch to test or coolant to check here. OPEN GALLERY Nissan Leaf - hero front Oldest Nissan Leafs may have lost up to 8% of their range Renault Zoe 2013 - hero front Only a Renault dealer can tell you how much battery capacity a Zoe has left Dealer There are few moving parts in an EV, so servicing is less of a worry Nissan Leaf charging Frequent rapid charging won’t do battery any favours VW Golf powertrain Examining a potential used purchase is very different when it’s an EV Nissan Leaf - static front Nissan Leaf Tesla Model 3 Performance - static front Tesla Model 3 Performance Hyundai Ioniq Electric - static rear Hyundai Ioniq Electric Nissan Leaf - hero front Renault Zoe 2013 - hero front Dealer Nissan Leaf charging VW Golf powertrain Nissan Leaf - static front Tesla Model 3 Performance - static front Hyundai Ioniq Electric - static rear Autocar NEWS by Autocar 5 mins read 11 July 2020 There's no need to be intimidated by the prospect of buying a second-hand EV, given the wealth of dealer and aftermarket resources on offer to advise and support owners taking their first steps into the world of electrification. The nature of their powertrains, performance and construction, however, does mean that the process for identifying a good one isn’t the same as for a combustion-engined car. There’s no oil to dip, clutch to test or coolant to check here. EV guide part one: every electric car rated | EV guide part two: your questions answered Battery degradation The biggest difference, and the aspect that understandably scares off some would-be buyers, is the battery. Batteries lose charge over their life, which has made some buyers afraid to buy pre-owned ones. But as long as you consider your range needs, you shouldn’t have much to fear. It’s true that turn-of-the-decade EV pioneers couldn’t travel as far on a charge as their present-day descendants and will have lost some of that battery capacity as the years have gone by and their batteries have aged. The typical battery loses around 2% of its charging capacity each year, which is why most 2011-reg Nissan Leafs have lost about 5-8% of their original range. Just how much the car’s range has depleted has a lot to do with how it has been treated by its previous owners. Excessive use of rapid chargers isn’t conducive to optimal battery performance, nor is always charging to full or discharging below 20%. There are two extremes, however, and low-mileage EVs have been known to suffer as a result of insufficient charging. It’s relatively easy to check a battery’s health, because most EVs have a clear range indicator. An early Leaf is now likely to have only 13 of its 14 indicator lights illuminated when fully charged, for example. It’s harder to tell a Renault Zoe’s battery capacity; you need a dealer to interrogate the vehicle’s software. But ignore scare-stories about having to splash out thousands on a replacement battery pack, since it’s possible to buy replacement cells for a few hundred pounds that will restore the lost capacity.
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