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A 2019 pre-owned Nissan Leaf SV on the lot in 2022 during the chip shortage that depleted stock of new auto inventory.

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Affordable EVs have been on sale in the U.S. well over a decade and the data analytics company Experian says about 2.2 million were on the road at the end of last year. Electric vehicle sales keep growing, too. As recently as 2021, total battery-powered electric vehicle sales in the U.S. were under 450,000, but Kelley Blue Book says sales surpassed 800,000 in 2022 and are expected to top one million this year. While the used EV market is still very small, the growth trajectory of EV sales means shopping for a used electric vehicle will become more common and get easier over time, and encompass more make and model choices.

In many ways, shopping for a used electric vehicle is the same as looking for any other used car or truck. Does it meet your budget and fit your lifestyle? Is it reliable and comfortable? But, beyond those criteria, there are some specific considerations EV shoppers have to make related to charging options and range.

Here are some of the key EV-specific issues to consider.

Charging remains limited in many areas

There are currently about 145,000 gas stations in the U.S., but only 53,000 public charging stations. Though charging infrastructure is improving, it’s still limited in many parts of the country, which could be be an issue for someone looking to go electric. While this is an issue for any EV purchase, new or used, it’s fundamental to understand before getting into how it informs a used EV purchase decision.

Consumers should determine what kind of range they need, then research EVs that meet it, said Tom McParland, a writer for Jalopnik who runs the vehicle-buying service Automatch Consulting. They also need to account for what sort of charging infrastructure is available in their area and if home charging is feasible, he said.

Chris Harto, the senior energy policy analyst for Consumer Reports, noted that shoppers should set realistic expectations. “Ask yourself where and when you’ll be charging,” he said. “If your answer is that you have no place to charge it while at home or work, you may want to consider a broader range of car types, including hybrids, which can offer outstanding fuel economy and low maintenance costs.”

Your driving, mileage habits matter

Some expensive EVs boast such impressive range that charging infrastructure may never be an issue, such as the Lucid Air (EPA range estimate: up to 516 miles) and the Tesla Model S (up to 405 miles). More affordable electric vehicles tend to have shorter ranges, though.

Battery electric vehicles with list prices under $35,000, such as GM‘s Chevy Bolt EV and the Hyundai Kona Electric, have EPA ranges of nearly 260 miles but are unlikely to make it that far in real-world driving conditions. This is especially true in cold weather, which can interfere with the electrochemical reactions inside batteries.

EV range will decline

This is where the general battery considerations in going electric become a more specific concern. A EV’s range is likely to degrade over time.

Batteries can lose 5% to10% of their power in the first five years and keep degrading after that due to a variety of factors, including age, exposure to temperature extremes, and use of fast charging. If the degradation is excessive, you might need to repair or replace the battery, which can get costly.

Batteries also are one of the most expensive parts of an EV and can cost over $10,000 to replace, but federal rules mandate that they’re covered under warranty for at least eight years or 100,000 miles, so shoppers looking at a lightly used BEV probably still have some coverage left. Plus, even a well-used battery may still have enough capacity to meet your needs.

Precise battery life is hard to measure

Determining the exact condition of a used BEV’s battery can be tricky – the U.S. auto industry does not have a standard set of metrics to measure it. But there are still ways to get a general idea of a battery’s health.

Recurrent, a Seattle startup which has teamed with the automotive site Edmunds, offers EV and plug-in hybrid consumers a free prediction of remaining battery life based on statistics it’s gathered on mileage, age, climate, and other factors.

A long test drive can also give you an idea of a battery’s health because you can monitor how quickly it loses charge. This is especially true if it includes sustained cruising at highway speeds, which tends to drain batteries much faster than stop-and-go driving.

As with all used-car purchases, getting a professional inspection can be worth the cost. “I generally recommend consumers visit service departments at dealerships that sell [EVs]” said Ronald Montoya, Edmunds’ senior consumer advice editor. “Compared to independent mechanics, you can be certain that dealership mechanics have been trained on [EVs] by the manufacturer,” he said.

Electric vehicles lose value faster, but upkeep is less

EVs generally depreciate faster than ICE vehicles, according to Kelley Blue Book. The automotive research company says that three-year-old EVs hold 63% of their value compared to 66% for vehicles using internal combustion. Depreciation at five years is even more pronounced, with EVs holding 37% of their initial value and ICE vehicles 46%.

This depreciation can make used EVs a good deal compared to buying new, but don’t be surprised if the price is still high – many electric vehicles are expensive to begin with.

The average used EV sold for $42,895 in March, noted Kelley Blue Book executive editor Brian Moody. That’s down 1.8% from February, but still significantly higher than the used vehicle market overall, where prices averaged a little over $27,000 in the first quarter.

Low maintenance and upkeep costs can help make up for the higher purchase price, though. Consumer Reports found that EVs cost about half as much to repair and maintain as gas-powered vehicles. “[EVs] don’t have fluids to change, and electric motors are less complicated than gasoline and diesel engines” noted Benjamin Preston, an autos reporter for the organization. “Simply put, there’s less that can wear out.”

He pointed to a recent study showing that EVs cost less to own over time than gas vehicles. The study found that used EVs can save even more than new ones. That’s because depreciation takes a bite out of the EV price premium, but used buyers still get the same fuel and maintenance savings.

Tax credit qualifications for used EVs

In addition those benefits, a used EV can qualify for state and federal incentives.

Used EVs (plus plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell vehicles) purchased for up to $25,000 from a licensed dealer can qualify for up to $4,000 in federal tax credits. Learn more from the IRS.

Many states also have their own tax credits. See what each state offers at Kelley Blue Book.

Where the used EV deals are

Higher-priced models are often the better value in the used car market.

“The luxury [EV] space is where buyers will find the best value for their dollar, especially in the sedan segment,” McParland said. “If you look at models like the Audi e-tron GT or Volvo S90 T8 PHEV you can really take advantage of some depreciation.”

Luxury vehicles often depreciate faster than the mainstream market, he said, adding that the changes in federal tax credits are also impacting the luxury EV market. (Among other requirements, federal tax benefits for new plug-in hybrids, fuel cell and full battery powered EVs only apply to SUVs under $80,000 and cars under $55,000.)

Another attractive option is Tesla’s Model 3, which boasts plenty of room for a family of four and up to 358 miles of range. Used Tesla prices have been dropping since 2022, and pre-owned Model 3s were selling for less than $43,000 in the first quarter.

For shoppers on a budget, the best deals are models including the Chevrolet Bolt EV, Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia Niro EV, which offer a good mix of range and relative affordability, according to Montoya.

“The best values are the electric cars that are either old and out of warranty and those that were inexpensive – relatively – when new,” Moody said.

White House estimates EVs could make up 67% of annual sales by 2032

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Economists, experts call for governments to ditch hydrogen, go fully electric

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Economists, experts call for governments to ditch hydrogen, go fully electric

In a joint statement, French and German economists have called on governments to adopt “a common approach” to decarbonize European trucking fleets – and they’re calling for a focus on fully electric trucks, not hydrogen.

France and Germany are the two largest economies in the EU, and they share similar challenges when it comes to freight decarbonization. The two countries also share a border, and the traffic between the two nations generates major cross-border flows that create common externalities between the two countries.

At the same time, the EU’s transport sector has struggled to reduce emissions at the same rate as other industries – and road freight in particular is a major contributor to harmful carbon emissions issue due to that industry’s heavy reliance on diesel-powered trucks.

And for once, it seems like rail isn’t a viable option:

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While rail remains competitive mainly for heavy, homogeneous goods over long distances. Most freight in Europe is indeed transported over distances of less than 200 km and involves consignment weights of up to 30 tonnes (GCEE, 2024) In most such cases, transportation by rail instead of truck is not possible or not competitive. Moreover, taking into account the goods currently transported in intermodal transport units over distances of more than 300 km, the modal shift potential from road to rail would be only 6% in Germany and less than 2% in France.

FRANCO-GERMAN COUNCIL OF ECONOMIC EXPERTS (FGCEE)

That leaves trucks – and, while numerous government incentives currently exist to promote the parallel development of both hydrogen and battery electric vehicle infrastructures, the study is clear in picking a winner.

“Policies should focus on battery-electric trucks (BET) as these represent the most mature and market-ready technology for road freight transport,” reads the the FGCEE statement. “Hence, to ramp-up usage of BET public funding should be used to accelerate the roll-out of fast-charging networks along major corridors and in private depots.”

The appeal was signed by the co-chair of the advisory body on the German side is the chairwoman of the German Council of Economic Experts, Monika Schnitzer. Camille Landais co-chairs the French side. On the German side, the appeal was signed by four of the five experts; Nuremberg-based energy economist Veronika Grimm (who also sits on the National Hydrogen Council, which is committed to promoting H2 trucks and filling stations) did not sign.

You can read an English version of the CAE FGCEE joint statement here.

Electrek’s Take

Hydrogen-sceptical truck maker MAN to produce limited series of 200 vehicles with H2 combustion engines
MAN hydrogen semi; via MAN Trucks.

MAN Trucks’ CEO famously said that it was “impossible” for hydrogen to compete with BEVs, and even committed to building 200 hydrogen-powered semi truck to prove out that hypothesis.

He’s not alone. MAN’s board member for research and development, Frederik Zohm, said that the company is the one saying hydrogen still has years to go. “(MAN) continues to research fuel cell technology based on battery electrics,” he said, in a statement quoted by Hydrogen Insight, before another board member added that, “we (MAN) expect that, in the future, we will be able to best serve the vast majority of our customers’ transport applications with battery-electric trucks.”

With companies like Volvo and Renault and now Mercedes racking up millions of miles on their respective battery electric semi truck fleets, it’s no longer even close. EV is the way.

SOURCE | IMAGES: CAE FGCEE; via Electrive.

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Quick Charge | the terrifying Trump tariffs are finally upon us!

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Quick Charge | the terrifying Trump tariffs are finally upon us!

On today’s tariff-tastic episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got tariffs! Big ones, small ones, crazy ones, and fake ones – but whether or not you agree with the Trump tariffs coming into effect tomorrow, one thing is absolutely certain: they are going to change the price you pay for your next car … and that price won’t be going down!

Everyone’s got questions about what these tariffs are going to mean for their next car buying experience, but this is a bigger question, since nearly every industry in the US uses cars and trucks to move their people and products – and when their costs go up, so do yours.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

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Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

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SunZia Wind’s massive 2.4 GW project hits a big milestone

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SunZia Wind’s massive 2.4 GW project hits a big milestone

GE Vernova has produced over half the turbines needed for SunZia Wind, which will be the largest wind farm in the Western Hemisphere when it comes online in 2026.

GE Vernova has manufactured enough turbines at its Pensacola, Florida, factory to supply over 1.2 gigawatts (GW) of the turbines needed for the $5 billion, 2.4 GW SunZia Wind, a project milestone. The wind farm will be sited in Lincoln, Torrance, and San Miguel counties in New Mexico.

At a ribbon-cutting event for Pensacola’s new customer experience center, GE Vernova CEO Scott Strazik noted that since 2023, the company has invested around $70 million in the Pensacola factory.

The Pensacola investments are part of the announcement GE Vernova made in January that it will invest nearly $600 million in its US factories and facilities over the next two years to help meet the surging electricity demands globally. GE Vernova says it’s expecting its investments to create more than 1,500 new US jobs.

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Vic Abate, CEO of GE Vernova Wind, said, “Our dedicated employees in Pensacola are working to address increasing energy demands for the US. The workhorse turbines manufactured at this world-class factory are engineered for reliability and scalability, ensuring our customers can meet growing energy demand.”

SunZia Wind and Transmission will create US history’s largest clean energy infrastructure project.

Read more: The largest clean energy project in US history closes $11B, starts full construction


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