Buying a used electric car

How an award-winning electric car can work for you

Everything you need to know on buying a second-hand EV

UNTIL now, electric cars have been seen as something of a novelty. They’ve been considered a risky choice that’s favoured only by the brave and the passionate.

But the past few months have seen a shift in attitude. Emissions scandals, Government announcements, new infrastructure and a stream of hi-tech products have fed consumers a message that EVS are coming – fast.

While sales of diesels declined by a third in October, hybrid and EV registrations shot up by 36.9 per cent. What happens in the new car market is inevitably reflected in used sales too. But while demand is increasing, the prices of used EVS are yet to rise substantially. Now is the time to swoop and get a used bargain before everyone catches on. However, which electric model should you choose?

The Nissan Leaf was named our Used Electric Car of the Year in Issue 1,496 with good reason. After nearly seven years on sale it has proven incredibly reliable. The batteries show little sign of deterioration, even after high-mile use.

Owners responding to our Driver Power survey tell us they love the Leaf and a sensible public charging infrastructure has appeared, with more than 13,000 points across the UK and more arriving every week, making it easy to ‘fuel up’ and making electric motoring more feasible.

But the most attractive part of a used Leaf is the price. Used models look like good value anyway, but Nissan is currently offering an extra £2,000 off if you trade in a pre2010 car as part of its ‘Switch’ scrappage scheme.

If you are driving an older car worth £2,500 you can trade it in against a used Nissan Leaf worth £10,995 and drive it away for £6,495. On PCP finance that will cost around £85 per month. Add up the monthly cost of fuelling, maintaining and taxing your old car and we reckon it could easily exceed that. Nissan will even throw in a free Home Charging Unit, so you won’t have to visit a petrol station ever again.

Of course electric cars aren’t for everyone, but if you think a Leaf could work for you, now is the time to take a look at the sums. To help take you through the buying process, we’ve created this guide to help you go electric.