What to know about buying a used electric vehicle as more hit the auto sales market
A 2019 pre-owned Nissan Leaf SV on the lot in 2022 during the chip shortage that depleted stock of new auto inventory.
Boston Globe | Boston Globe | Getty Images
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.
Global renewable developer and energy giant RWE has halted its US offshore wind operations “for the time being” because of the “political environment” the Trump administration has created.
RWE, Germany’s biggest electricity producer, said in March that it had dialed back its US offshore wind activities. But now, CEO Marcus Krebber said in a speech transcript, which he’ll deliver at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Essen on April 30, that its US offshore wind business is now closed (but it wasn’t all bad news):
In the US, where we have stopped our offshore activities for the time being, our business in onshore wind, solar energy, and battery storage has so far been developing very dynamically. At the start of this year, we reached an important milestone when our US generation capacity hit the 10 gigawatt mark. The construction of a further 4 gigawatts is secured.
He went on to say that renewables have created regional value and jobs, but that the company remains “cautious given the political developments.” RWE has introduced more stringent requirements for future US investments:
All necessary federal permits must be in place. Tax credits must be safe harbored and all relevant tariff risks mitigated. In addition, onshore wind and solar projects must have secured offtake at the time of the investment decision. Only if these conditions are met will further investments be possible, given the political environment.
About half of RWE’s installed renewable capacity is in the US, where it’s the third-largest renewable energy company through its subsidiary, RWE Clean Energy. RWE holds the rights to develop US offshore wind projects in New York, Louisiana, and California.
RWE paid $1.1 billion for the New York lease area in 2022, where it’s meant to develop the 3 gigawatt (GW) Community Offshore Wind with the UK’s National Grid. Community Offshore Wind was projected to come online in the early 2030s and expected to power more than a million homes.
The developer paid $5.6 billion for the Louisiana lease in the Gulf of Mexico in 2023 as the lone bidder for development rights, and the Canopy Offshore Wind project off Northern California was not expected to be completed for another decade.
Read more: Trump admin halts $5 billion NY offshore wind project mid-build
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It’s that time of year again, time for events across the country to show off electric vehicles at Drive Electric Earth Month.
Drive Electric Earth Month is an offshoot of Drive Electric Week, a long-running annual tradition hosting meetups mostly in the US, but also occasionally in other countries. It started as Drive Electric Earth Day, but since not every event can happen on the same day, they went ahead and extended it to encompass “Earth Month” events that happen across the month of April. It’s all organized by Plug In America, the Sierra Club, the Electric Vehicle Association, EV Hybrid Noire, and Drive Electric USA.
Events consist of general Earth Day-style community celebrations, EV Ride & Drives where you can test drive several EVs in one place, and opportunities to talk to EV owners and ask them questions about what it’s like to live with an EV, away from the pressure of a dealership.
This month, there are 158 events registered across the US and 1 in Mexico (including one online webinar about things to consider when purchasing an EV).
Events have been happening all month, but the biggest weekend is this upcoming one, APril 26-27.
One really neat event was the Asheville event, which showcased the resiliency of EVs in an area devastated by Hurricane Helene, which was made more severe by climate change. That event was attended by the Rivian R1T which famously got dragged 100 feet submerged in mud and came out running fine.
But the bulk of the events happened on the weekends surrounding Earth Day, April 22, so there were several last weekend and will be even more this upcoming weekend.
There are plenty of events in the big cities where you’d expect, but Plug In America wanted to highlight a few of the events in smaller places around the country. Here’s a sampling of upcoming events:
- Big Island EV – Cruise and Picnic in Waimea, HI on April 26, 10am-1pm – EV drivers will congregate in various places around the Big Island (Kona, Waimea, Waikoloa and Hilo), then drive up Saddle Road to the Gil Kahele Recreation Area on Mauna Kea for a potluck and a chance to talk about the experience of owning EVs on the Big Island.
- Santa Barbara Earth Day 2025 and Green Car Show in Santa Barbara, CA on April 26-27, 11am-8pm – This is part of Santa Barbara’s Earth Day celebration, which routinely attracts 30,000 participants and is one of the longest-running Earth Day celebrations on the planet. The Green Car Show includes ride & drives and an “Owners Corner” where owners can showcase their EVs and attendees can check them out and ask questions.
- Earth Day’25 – EV’s role in a sustainable future in Queretaro City, Mexico on April 26, 9am-4pm – The sole Mexican event, this is a combined in-person/online seminar at the Querétaro Institute of Technology.
- Norman Earth Day Festival in Norman, OK on April 27, 12-5pm – Another municipal Earth Day festival, with hands-on activities for kids to learn about the environment. A portion of the parking lot reserved for an EV car show for EV owners who pre-register to show off their vehicles.
- Oregon Electric Vehicle Association Test Drive & Information Expo in Portland, OR on April 27, 10am-4pm – This one is at Daimler Truck’s North American HQ, and will have several EVs for test drives, owner displays (including DIY gas-to-EV conversions), and keynote presentations by EV experts. They’ll even have a 1914 Detroit Electric EV available for test rides!
- And, we at Electrek want to give a shoutout to Rove’s EV Drive Days in Santa Ana 10am-3pm April 28 – ROVE is the company behind the “full-service” EV charging concept that we’ve talked about several times here on Electrek, and we like what they’re doing for EV charging. They’ve hosted a few community events, and this is their contribution to Earth Month.
Each event has a different assortment of activities (e.g. test drives won’t be available at every event, generally just the larger ones attended by local dealerships), so be sure to check the events page to see what the plan is for your local event.
These events have offered a great way to connect with owners and see the newest electric vehicle tech, and even get a chance to do test rides and drives in person. Attendees got to hear unfiltered information from actual owners about the benefits and trials of owning EVs, allowing for longer and more genuine (and often more knowledgeable) conversations than one might normally encounter at a dealership.
And if you’re an owner – you can show off your car and answer those questions for interested onlookers.
To view all the events and see what’s happening in your area, you can check out the list of events or the events map. You can also sign up to volunteer at your local events, and if you plan to show off your electric car, you can RSVP on each event page and list the vehicle that you plan to show (or see what other vehicles have already registered).
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