Do you want to go electric, but a new model is still too expensive for you? Think of the occasion, the second-hand market starting to develop well. Automobile-Propre gives you all its advice for a successful purchase.
Giving in to the crush, opting with your eyes closed for the most common model, listening to the advice of a relative or a dealer: are these the best scenarios to adopt to acquire a used electric car? No ! And yet, it is often one of them that pushes many motorists to opt for electromobility and ‘zero emissions’. The approach needs to be more rigorous. The paths to follow…
Set your budget…
It is often the budget that will make it possible to proceed with the first skimming for buying a used electric vehicle. And this, in order to look only at the side of those which will be really accessible to you.
Traveling 100 kilometers in an electric car should cost you around 2 euros in electricity by recharging from your home, compared to 10 euros or more of gasoline and diesel with a thermal model. This should allow you to inflate by a few thousand euros the envelope that you would have reserved in the past for the purchase of a used car.
With 5,000 euros, which is almost a minimum for a used electric car, you will still have the choice between the first Renault Zoé and the ‘C-ZiMiOn’ (Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero ). Under 10,000 €, you can find old generation Nissan Leafs or Volkswagen e-up!. Between 20,000 and 30,000 €, there will be Kia Niro EVs, which have the advantage of having good autonomy. The first Tesla Model S are offered at around 35,000 euros. On the other hand, you will hardly find a Tesla Model 3 for less than 35,000 euros!
However, it should be noted that second-hand prices are now driven up by demand, even for electric cars. Low prices are not necessarily good deals. An electric occasion in 8 years and more with its original batteries is in full decline.
… but don’t forget the purchase aids for your electric car!
The state has set up a bonus of €1,000 on used electric vehicles that are at least two years old. In addition, with the scrapping bonus, it is possible to buy a second-hand model. The boost is €2,500 if you scrap a petrol from before 2006 or a diesel from before 2011.
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Choosing the right used electric car according to your needs
What do you intend your used electric car ? Home-to-work journeys only? Medium and/or long distance trips sometimes? Sole or primary car? It is the autonomy needs that will then reduce the range of models corresponding to your expectations.
For short trips, a city car will do. And even for medium distances. In this game, the most versatile seems to be the Renault Zoé, whose offer is abundant. Especially with 1 or 2 children with you. The autonomy needs are also to be assessed according to the recharging possibilities available. For more family use with longer distances, the Kia Niro with the large battery are interesting, the autonomy being 450 km.
Provide a refill available
Where do you go to charge your electric car most often? At home. In this case, and on this point, with short or medium displacements, almost all models of the lithium-ion generation could be suitable for you. You have to think about having a socket installed in your home which allows you to recharge faster, this being very long with a household socket. The Green’Up type socket is a first affordable solution, before the Wallbox type socket.
If it is a question of making long journeys, regularly or occasionally, what are the powers of the charging points at your disposal which would make it possible to carry them out? Fast terminals? If so, that’s ideal on paper. First condition: choose a compatible vehicle. It is important to assess attendance at stations, especially during periods of heavy traffic. Electric cars can now use a 50 kW fast charger for more than an hour. It is therefore preferable to frequent stations equipped with several terminals. Tesla has set up a globally efficient network of superchargers for its productions. For other models, Ionity is a safe bet.
If there are only 22 kW accelerated terminals, you are clearly directed to the Renault Zoé. However, recent occasions in the R135 version of the latter are potentially compatible with a 50 kW charge.
However, be aware that some electric cars from other brands can also carry a 7 kW or even 11 kW device, which will help out on occasion. Namely, some copies of BMW i3 are equipped with a gasoline range extender. This material makes it possible not to be stuck in a blackout on the road.
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Used electric vehicle models to avoid
Don’t let yourself be tempted by the attractive prices asked for Renault Clio from 1996, Kangoo from 2003, Citroën AX from the mid-1990s, Peugeot 106 from the same era, or other models prior to 2010… unless you want to have fun a bit and develop your EV maintenance skills with machines with rather accessible innards.
With a mediocre autonomy of around 70 kilometers, it will be necessary to give them special attention for maintenance and repairs, possibly by helping you with advice and equipment from pioneers in electric mobility.
Better to forget the connected cars of the lead and NiCd generations, to prefer those equipped with lithium-ion batteries. In the latter, we avoid being seduced by the models of missing and assimilated manufacturers, such as the Mia from Mia Electric, and the productions of Bolloré.
Not only are the Bluecar and Bluesummer not the most pleasant to drive, but they are also not suitable for individuals. Except very regular daily use. They consume more energy than the others due to the obligation to keep the batteries at a certain temperature almost constantly. So they must be almost always plugged in when not in use. A variation of the Bluesummer, the Citroën E-Méhari is also to be avoided.
The Renault Fluence is also to be avoided. It is experiencing problems with the electric motor and the manufacturer may no longer provide replacement batteries.
Condition of the battery of a used electric car
The main organ you need to pay attention to before buying a used electric caris the battery. How many kilometers is it possible to do with it? If for a Citroën C-Zero which is 8 years old and has 100,000 km, you are told that after a full recharge it can still cover a hundred kilometres: beware!
Even with low mileage, a pre-2013 pack will almost certainly have lost a good quarter of its original capacity. And the phenomenon will increase. An electric car that is more than 8 years old can, however, still provide many services for a few years to circulate locally. You just have to be aware of your situation and not buy it too expensive.
Know, for example, that Citroën asks for more than 17,000 euros to replace the battery of a C-Zero. Manufacturers are mostly reluctant to clearly communicate prices on this subject.
Request a battery test
For some models of electric cars, it is possible to perform a battery capacity test and obtain a certificate on its health. For 49 euros, Moba (formerly La Belle Batterie) sends you a box to plug into the vehicle’s OBD socket. It is associated with a smartphone application to download using a QR Code provided. The software makes it possible to transmit directly to the young company the information on the balancing of the cells. The data collection operation is to be carried out twice. The first, when the battery is below 20% of its capacity. The second, after a full recharge. The results are then communicated in the form of a booklet.
Moba has a kit for most electric vehicles well present on the marketoccasion. More and more models are compatible. Thus the Renault Zoé (22 and 41 kWh) and Kangoo (22 kWh), BMW i3 (60, 94 or 120 Ah), Nissan Leaf (24 and 30 kWh), Kia Soul EV (27 kWh), Citroën C-Zero, Peugeot iOn and Mitsubishi i-MiEV (14.5 and 16 kWh), Tesla Model S…
Used electric car battery rental
Fears about the state of the battery can be swept away by choosing a used electric car whose pack is rented. Manufacturers no longer offer it, but Renault, Smart and Bolloré have imposed it in the past, as well as Citroën for the E-Méhari. Other manufacturers also offered as an option.
It is sometimes possible to switch from renting to buying the battery. Bolloré allows it for its old Bluecars. Above all, do not do this with models that are more than 5 years old: this rental is in this case a guarantee that allows you to consider using your second-hand electric car over a longer term and with a pack in sufficient condition.
The ideal is to know the autonomy announced at the time by the manufacturer, and to withdraw 20% to know the real range of action when it is first put into circulation. Then compare these figures with those given by the seller. Or better, those that you will have calculated by carrying out a test over a long distance. After several years of operation and tens of thousands of kilometers later, the autonomy will necessarily be lower, except in very specific cases of use.
Favor owners open to a long trial
You must be able to see and confirm the autonomy announced by the seller. How ? By having the possibility to try the car long enough, after a full charge.
You don’t necessarily need to drain the battery, although that would be ideal, but at least half to check that there is not a big inconsistency in the figures that the owner or the dealer will have communicated to you. A professional will often be more inclined to leave you this freedom… if he is sure of his product or if he relies on your credulity.
Not all lithium-ion battery technologies age the same. Overall, we know today that a pack can accumulate 100,000 km and more in 5 to 10 years. But for each of the models you have selected, it is best to consult the feedback from their first users, in particular on dedicated forums.
Don’t forget the fun factor
All this should not make you forget that an electric car is also a fun car. And we still have the right to fall for one model rather than another, some having really what it takes for this, whether in terms of the line, an interior atmosphere, or road behavior .
Anyway: try several different models to feel the one that seems to suit you best while offering the level of service that meets your needs.
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