Things to look out for with a used EV

Buying a used car is the preferred option of many in New Zealand, offering a broader range of vehicles at cheaper prices. As with any vehicle, buying a used EV requires a keen eye across the condition and history of the car, inside and out.

But with totally different technology than a petrol or diesel car, there are aspects unique to the electric category that you should consider before committing. In this guide we cover the main parts of an EV to check – whether that’s at a used car dealer or in a private sale situation.

While petrol or diesel car owners only have a reasonably affordable cost to replace their battery, EV’s have an extra, big battery that will degrade over time – the one that powers the electric motor.

Knowing the battery condition of a used UV before buying is essential. The car should have a health percentage of the battery, accessible through the dash display and controls. Each model and make has a different way of showing this information, so ask the seller to show you this information. Some EVs will show this detail through a companion app.

Battery health can also be diagnosed by a professional automotive service provider. If you’re in doubt you might consider getting it checked over.

And it’s not a few hundred dollars to replace it either. You’re more likely to be spending more than $5,000 to get a new EV battery installed. Batteries from EV manufacturers will typically come with a rating for how long they’re meant to last. This could be years or an odometer reading guide. Check when the car was new from and if there’s any remaining warranty on the battery as this could help weigh into your decision.

Also know that batteries can be degraded by charging habits and extreme temperatures. A check of how many cycles the battery has gone through might also be useful.

Another common way of understanding the performance of a used EV’s battery is to take it for a test drive and monitor the estimated range. Older cars will understandably not enjoy the entire from-factory rated range, but a well-worn battery will lose range noticeably quickly.

Range is a massive factor in the driving experience of an electric car. While battery technology is enabling bigger ranges and more efficient operation, it’s still something that any motorist should consider when buying a model new or used. Once you enter the world of used, getting a sense of what the range should be is a bit trickier. As a guide, EV Connect suggests only a few percentage of capacity loss each year, so any recent year used EV should have a good chance of being usable for a good while, provided the previous owner has followed best practices around charging and usage.

Getting a used EV with an old battery needs to still make sense financially (and admin wise) when you include time and cost involved in a battery replacement. Otherwise, you may be better off finding something a bit newer that won’t need this major service in the near future.

As with any car, taking a close look at the body, lights and sensors around the exterior is important. While we’d hope the seller is upfront about damage and notable accidents in the car’s history, it’s not always going to happen. Make sure to touch and test components like the lights, door handles, boot mechanism and so on. You will also want to make sure any features like proximity sensors are working as intended. Small scrapes may not be anything to walk away from the deal on, but dents and replaced parts could warrant a deeper investigation to make sure they aren’t the tip of any icebergs!

As you’re buying an electric vehicle that you’ll want to charge regularly, perhaps one of the most important components to check is the charging point - we’d strongly suggest having this plugged in as you’re taking a look. Problems with charging can become expensive so it’s not something to skip over.

If you’ve bought a used petrol or diesel car before, you’ll know the procedure: buttons, dials, indicator stalks, upholstery and so on. With an EV, there are often fewer physical components in the cabin as more functionality is being migrated to large touch screens driven by software. 

On top of those typical interior car checks, take some time to move through the ‘infotainment’ system and make sure everything works as intended – A/C, radio, GPS and so on. While software-based controls do give more flexibility for future updates, you want to know beforehand if there’s going to be headaches with the screens, touch input or just the response time.

Nothing other than taking a used EV for a test drive will give you a sense of how well the brakes are working or how the suspension feels. These areas of the vehicle can of course be tuned, fixed or replaced, but will have a major impact on the driving experience and safety. Older EVs like other cars can have soft or squeaky brakes and suspension can wear out through usage, age or road conditions. If you’re not quite sure about their suitability, you can have this looked at by a mechanic who’ll check other things for you at the same time.

It may sound obvious, but it’s not worth missing – the electrical components (outside of the motor itself) should all be checked. This includes:

• all lights, inside and out
• windows
• mirrors
• sensors
• start up
• driving assistance like lane change warnings or cruise control.

These are simply costs and hassles that are better to know about before buying. It’s especially important for used car private sales where it’s difficult to resolve nasty surprises with the seller after the fact. Good used car dealers should provide peace of mind here, and you also have the Consumer Guarantees Act on your side.

Software updates for a car in many ways mirror those of personal devices like phones or computers. They are meant to bring improvements to features and performance but can bring issues at the same time. If you’ve ever installed an update on your phone only to find a bug or impact on your usage, you’ll understand what we mean. In most cases, bugs are patched with further updates and the ability to bring enhancements through software does make EV life better in most cases.

One thing you’ll want to check is whether software updates are still available for the particular year and model of car you’re thinking about buying.

For most people, a service history doesn’t have to be squeaky clean in order to proceed with a purchase. Most cars will have some sort of maintenance in their past, so your priority is to find anything that could suggest major accidents or things that might compromise the vehicle long term. You might even want to look in the service history for a battery replacement as this solves the main cost concern around used EVs.

As with other checks, if you’re not feeling confident about finding and understanding these, a qualified, reputable mechanic with EV experience should steer you right.

Warranties are excellent for vehicles - they allow us to drive and enjoy our cars with the knowledge that big things are covered for a certain period. If you buy a used EV from a recent year, there may be warranty remaining. These can include specific coverage of the battery’s life, or even bumper-to-bumper faults or issues coverage.

It’s important to check the warranty documentation to know what it will cover and for how long until you’re up for the maintenance costs yourself.

Getting the original charger with your used EV is preferable for a few reasons. First, the safety of using an OEM charger gives you peace of mind that you’re not getting into any incompatibility issues. Given the charger is central to the operation of your vehicle, it’s worth having the most appropriate and functional charger you can find.

The next reason applies to more recent EVs with warranty remaining - using the original charger may be required to maintain the validity of this, although more commonly it’s more down to using an incompatible charger that may damage the vehicle’s components.

Then there’s the matter of future resell. When selling anything, it’s always more desirable to your possible buyers when the product comes with everything it had new.

With that said, EV chargers sold in New Zealand need to follow standards around electrical safety, and you should only use chargers that are compatible with the EV you’re looking to buy. We’d suggest checking with the manufacturer’s guidelines around EV charging accessories and the warranty if there’s still one active - that way you can get a third party charger without worry.

The used electric market is still reasonably young, so expect the options to improve as New Zealand’s EV motorist community upgrades.

A used EV might be a good fit for anyone looking for a cheaper deal on a good electric car. While the battery health consideration is a big one, once satisfied, there’s often fewer major things that can go wrong with an EV compared to a used fuel-powered car. For those looking for something in the higher budget category, going for an ex-demo or recent year option is a good way to save some money without sacrificing much.

However, if you’re concerned about navigating the used EV market you should always get the help of an experienced auto professional who can check the car over. If you’d simply like the peace of mind of a brand new car including a fresh battery and full warranty, then there’s a growing number of new models hitting our shores.