What should we keep in mind when buying a used electric car?

The price of new electric cars is not, at this time, a facilitating factor for most private buyers in our country. Electric cars are still more expensive than combustion engine vehicles, despite institutional campaigns and aid, promotions, and discounts subject to financing from major manufacturers. Precisely for this reason, a substantial increase in demand for used electric vehicles has been detected, which in many cases are depreciate much more rapidly than equivalent combustion-engine vehicles. It's clear, then, that buying an electric car on the secondhand market can be a very good idea to find a product at a more affordable price for most budgets, as long as we know the vehicle's actual condition and, if possible, as much information as possible about its service history.

The first thing to be clear about when looking for a used electric vehicle is that, unlike combustion-engine vehicles, mileage is not a differentiating factor in a vehicle's condition. The great advantage of electric cars over traditional ones has to do with maintenance, as electric cars don't require replacing timing chains or belts, filters or fuel pumps, clutch systems, or other mechanical components. Maintenance on electric cars is often limited to the natural wear and tear of use, i.e., replacing brake pads and discs and tires, windshield wipers, and potential electronic malfunctions (lighting system, electric parking brake, or infotainment system). Electric motors also don't require any special maintenance, and there's no possibility or need to replace cylinders, pistons, and injectors, or to overhaul the engine, or to suffer from a possible failure of the dreaded gearbox and clutch system.

The most important factor to consider when purchasing a used electric vehicle is knowing the actual condition of the lithium battery and its potential loss of capacity, which necessarily translates into a significant reduction in the actual range of electric cars. Currently, there are several battery diagnostic systems for electric cars that allow for a clear, concise, and effective assessment of the actual condition of a vehicle's lithium battery. This is an operation that can be performed in most workshops, or even independently if you have the appropriate training, tools, and knowledge. Diagnosing an electric car's batteries can be performed in less than five minutes and allows potential buyers of a used electric car to be assured of the actual condition of the lithium batteries, the main stumbling block when considering the purchase of an electric vehicle on the used market.

Most lithium batteries used in today's cars have a lifespan of approximately 150,000 to 200,000 kilometers, or, in other words, a range of 3,000 to 3,500 charge cycles, with a natural degradation margin of about 5%. However, this figure will also depend on the type of use and rapid charging the vehicle has been subjected to, since the overheating to which lithium batteries are subjected during rapid or ultra-rapid charging cycles is one of the factors that can most affect battery lifespan. In fact, there are some records of older vehicles, such as the first-generation Nissan Leaf or some Tesla Model S with lithium batteries, that have accumulated more than 250,000 or even 300,000 kilometers and more than 4,000 or 5,000 charge cycles, with degradation.

Another element to analyze and consider when purchasing a used electric vehicle is the vehicle's overall wear and tear. The overall condition of the vehicle's interior and body are reliable indicators for assessing the level of maintenance. A car from a rental or leasing company may not have been properly maintained. In this sense, although mechanical maintenance is not as crucial as it is for a combustion-powered car, the existence of a sealed service book with associated invoices suggests that the model in question has been properly maintained.

Finally, it is also interesting to know that zero-kilometer electric cars that are less than twelve months old can also benefit from the Aid for the acquisition of electric vehicles under the Moves III plan, which will be valid until December 31, 2025, or until the 400 million with which it has been allocated is exhausted.