Our family just bought another EV\u2014a gently used 2012 Chevy Volt\u2014and we love it. That\u2019s not to say that we love our 2015 LEAF any less, in the same way that you can love each of your children differently, without necessarily picking a favorite.<\/p>\n
We at Plug In America have long been fans of used EVs. Because the non-EV world is overly scared of battery degradation, used EVs have historically depreciated faster than most other cars\u2014and thus are a great deal for those of us in the know. (Although that has begun to change in the past year\u2014used EV prices are creeping up.) The one big exception is Tesla. As anyone who has looking into buying a used Tesla knows, they seem to hold their value almost indefinitely. Waiting for a Tesla to drop in value as it ages is a bit like waiting for a Picasso to drop in value as it<\/em> ages.<\/p>\n When buying a used gas car, there are many parts to worry about\u2014timing belts, fuel pumps, fuel injectors, manifolds, transmissions, pistons, oil filters, air filters, crankshafts, camshafts, inlet valves, etc. All those moving parts wear out and pose a maintenance risk to the used car buyer. With a used EV, it\u2019s all pretty much about the battery (and tires and brakes). If the battery is at or near its original capacity, you\u2019ve essentially got a new car.<\/p>\n In the case of our Volt, we bought it with only 18,000 miles on the odometer from a driver who only used it to get around town. Hardly any of those miles were on gas, which means that the gas engine and drive train really are new. And the battery still shows a range of 34 miles, versus an official range of 35 miles when it left the factory. I won\u2019t tell you what it cost me, but let\u2019s just say it wasn\u2019t much for a car in this mechanical condition and with minimal wear and tear on the body.<\/p>\n EV battery range can deteriorate over time, and it\u2019s something to watch for, but it\u2019s not nearly so common as you might think. My LEAF still shows the same range as when we got it 38 months ago. And, just yesterday, I was speaking with a friend who drives a 2012 Tesla Model S, who assured me that she could not see any noticeable difference in her range from the day she bought it.<\/p>\n