How to buy a used electric car Car News

Until recently, buying a used electric car was a leap into the unknown. Considered rare and technically complex, these zero-emission exhaust machines have been treated with skepticism by traditional second-hand buyers more interested in bargains than batteries.

Yet, with manufacturers adding more and more electric vehicles to their lines in recent years, the choice of used examples is steadily increasing. On top of that, the heightened awareness of the need for a zero-emission automobile is really starting to kick in, making a used electric car more desirable than ever.

So what do you need to know Read on as we reveal all the top tips you’ll need to pack a great used electric vehicle.

Types of electric cars

First of all, decide exactly what kind of electric car you want or need, because there are currently several to choose from.

Of course, there are BEVs (battery electric vehicles), which are the ones that usually come to mind when thinking of electric cars. Using a large battery to power one or more electric motors, these machines run on electricity only. As a result, “distance anxiety” can be a problem, with drivers sometimes worried that they will be without power. On some early BEVs this is a real concern, the distance between charges, for example, and early Nissan Leaves being just over 90 miles. However, some later models now push 300 and even 400 miles on a single charge.

Next are PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles), which combine a traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) with an electric motor and a smaller battery. For most short trips, the electric motor can handle the pressure, with a range typically between 25 and 40 miles. However, when the cells are drained or you need to move away, you can use the gasoline or diesel engine. Like BEVs, they can be plugged in to recharge the battery, although many also allow you to replenish electricity using the ICE as a generator.

REx (range-extenders) work in a similar way but with a different mechanical philosophy. This is because they drive like BEVs, using the electric motor to drive the wheels all the time, while like PHEVs, they have an ICE. Yet unlike PHEVs, the ICE is only used as a generator to keep the battery at a minimum state of charge until you can plug it in and get the battery cells back to maximum, when you will get a similar zero emissions. . exhaust pipe figure as PHEV.

Is an electric car right for me?

This is arguably the question that needs to be at the top of the list for every potential EV buyer. Essentially, you have to take the time to figure out what you are going to use the car for and where it is going to be parked when not in use, as there is no point in switching to electricity if you cannot charge it. battery because you’ve no access to the mains.

If you do a lot of small local jumps but regularly go further afield, say on weekends, then a PHEV or REx makes a lot of sense. You can browse locally, reload every night or whenever you stop and never disturb the ICE. Still, take the highways for longer trips and you can travel far safely knowing you have a gasoline or diesel engine you can rely on – an engine that can be quickly and easily refilled at a vast network of stations. -service.