Best buys for used EVs £5,000 to £10,000
In the recent year used prices for electric cars has normalised to where it should be. This has allowed the used EV market to be available to a whole new group of buyers. So, what are my recommendations to people looking for a second-hand electric car. Over the next couple of articles, I will go through some different price brackets and identify some of the best picks. These will be generic recommendations as I understand that everyone’s situation will be different.
£5000
At this price range there still limited options for used EVs. As for many years a Renault Zoe and a Nissan leaf were about the only options you could buy new. Due to these 2 models are the oldest, unsurprisingly they are in the lowest price range. Because it has poor battery management, it is hard to recommend purchasing a Nissan Leaf at this price point as the battery could be severely degraded. This leaves you with the just the Zoe. At this price point a 22kWh version should still be able to achieve a range of 90 miles or so in the summer. A good option for a second car but hard to recommend if it’s going to be used as an only car. Some of these cars still have the battery lease meaning that you could have a bill of £55 per month if you don’t want to pay out the battery lease.
£10,000
Moving up £5000 increases your options significantly. If you are lucky, you might be able to find a new shape Zoe with a range of well over 200 miles. You must be aware that some of the lower spec models of the Zoes didn’t come with rapid charging which is a must if you plan on doing longer journeys. Another recommendation of mine is the original Hyundai Ioniq which is famed for its efficiency. So even though it has a small battery it has good range and good charging speed. With it being bigger than the Zoe it could easily be recommended as an only car for the right person. In this bracket is the new shape Nissan Leaf although its still a car that I wouldn’t recommend for the same reason as before. VW e-golf is another option at this price point with some large battery options showing up near the top of the budget. There is also another VW option, the E-Up! A great little city car that is high up on my recommendation list due to its size and efficiency, but it is only something I could recommend as a second car.
Next month I will look at the £15,000 and £20,000 budgets where there are plenty of options. If you want my recommendations before then please feel free to email me at events@nottinghamevs.co.uk
