If you are thinking of buying a used electric vehicle, what are the right questions to ask? What models are available? At what price ? Traps to avoid ? Our advice for a worry-free purchase.
Buying a used electric car? The idea may have been in your head for a few months. High gasoline prices, respect for the environment, traffic restrictions in large cities: there are many reasons to go electric.
Buying an electric car sometimes means taking a leap into the unknown. What criteria should be taken into account? Mistakes not to make? The Midi Dispatch gives you some advice on how to get there.
What will be the use of the vehicle ?
First reflex to have: define the use of the vehicle. Will it be a second vehicle for going to work, taking the children to school or shopping? Will it be the main vehicle of the family? In the first case, a city car is enough. In the second case, you have to buy a sedan or an SUV.
What models are available?
The most common electric vehicle is the Renault Zoé, launched in 2012. In ten years, the model has evolved a lot: range, battery size, charging system. “A 2012 Renault Zoé has nothing to do with a 2022 Zoé”, explains Pierre Desjardins, the site’s editor-in-chief. automobile-propre.com. A Zoé from the same year can even be different.
The other most common model is the Nissan Leaf. On specialized sites, there are also ads for the Dacia Spring, the Hyundai Ioniq, the Volkswagen e-Golf, the Kia e-Niro or the Tesla Model 3 and Model S for example.
Are there patterns to avoid?
Two models are not recommended by Nicolas Bernard, the editor-in-chief ofcar plus : the Citroën C0 and the Peugeot iOn. “These are the clones of a very narrow little Mitsubishi, they are to be avoided for their very small autonomy or their behavior. They are really not great”.
The use of the electric car is used to choose the model.
What are the more autonomous models?
Battery life has evolved a lot in a few years. The specialists we interviewed advise favoring models put on the market since 2017-2018 to have a range of at least 250 km. Nicholas Bernard ofcar plus recommends not to acquire a model older than a Renault Zoé ZE-40 put into service at the end of 2016. An electric car used as a second vehicle, with a range of 250 km, is recharged only once a week on average
What are the prices ?
It is possible to find a used electric vehicle for around 10,000 euros. For a sedan, you have to put double: more than 20,000 euros.
Are there any helpers?
For the purchase of a used electric vehicle, there is a state bonus of 1,000 euros. You must keep the vehicle for at least two years. In addition, for the inhabitants of Occitanie, the region offers a mobility eco-cheque up to €2,000. At the same time, it is possible to receive a conversion bonus, between €2,500 and €5,000 depending on your income, if you send a pre-2011 diesel model or a pre-2006 petrol model for scrap. It corresponds to the Crit’air vignettes 3, 4, 5 and beyond”, explains Pierre Desjardins of the site automobile-propre.com.
Motorists recharge their electric car on the holiday route.
What are the vehicle charging times?
Some models can be recharged only on a conventional power outlet, the most recent can also be recharged on fast charging stations. At home, it may be interesting to install a wallbox, a charging station. The vehicle plugged in in the evening is 100% charged in the morning (compared to 20 hours on a conventional socket). The price of this charging station, between €1,000 and €1,500, depends on the desired electrical power and the options. The installation entitles you to a tax credit. It will probably be necessary to increase the power of your electricity meter and therefore to take out a more expensive subscription.
Can we own an electric vehicle in a residence?
The law provides a “right to hold”. If you wish to have an individual socket to recharge your electric vehicle, the syndic cannot oppose this. The work will be your responsibility. The installation of a meter will be necessary for invoicing.
What should you pay attention to before buying an electric vehicle?
It is absolutely advisable to know the health status of the battery. Over the years, as with a mobile phone, the battery loses autonomy due to too frequent charging, rapid charging or temperatures. The battery must be above 80%. “If I had any advice to give, I would buy a used electric car from a garage rather than from an individual”, advises Nicolas Bernard ofcar plus. It is then necessary to make a diagnosis called SOH (“state of health”). The society Moba offers this service for 49 €. It sends you a box that you will need to connect to the vehicle’s OBD socket to carry out the diagnosis before sending the box back to the company for analysis.
What are the maintenance costs on an electric model?
An electric vehicle has, by definition, no oil change to do. On the other hand, as on a thermal vehicle, the discs and brake pads or the shock absorbers are to be changed. Tires need to be monitored. An electric vehicle being heavier, it wears out the tires more quickly.