Electric cars: a wise used buy yet?
Has the time come to re-evaluate electric cars as used buys?
A Twizy is just a quick golf cart, but not as practical
Iam sure you know by now that on this page I have something of a problem with electric cars. I believe that they exist, that they can be useful, but mostly that they seem like very bad value for money. Even when they are a little bit used and depreciation has worked its magic, I only see end-of-life downsides. As for Bangernomic Battery Cars, we’ve dismissed a Reva G-wiz before now. I’m still open to buying, though, and when Autocar reader Alex asked me a question, he actually seemed like someone who could make a pretty decent case for turning electric.
Here we go: “I am looking to get a used electric car… I have looked at the Volkswagen e-up, Renault Zoe and Renault Twizy. Do you think an e-up would be a good purchase for a 13-mile commute? I currently have a petrol Up.”
Those couple of sentences tell us an awful lot. The great news is that there will be no such thing as range anxiety, even in the deep mid-winter. With all the air-con, in-car entertainment and lighting facilities switched on, just about anything on half a charge should manage a 26-mile round trip. Even a Twizy. The thing is, an Up is already very parsimonious when it comes to fuel. And an e-up will just be quieter. That’s why I asked Alex why he needed to switch to electric. He didn’t reply. Still, what does one cost?
Well, there are not many around and the cheapest one I could find was a 53,000-mile 2015 version for £10,995. I’m impressed that someone has piled on the miles in such a relatively short time. But if I had a petrol Up, I would keep it. When considering a short-commute option, I’d rather buy a 1.0 Bluemotion Tech High Up than pay £11k. I say that because I came across a 2012 example with 37,000 miles at £5495. The biggest upside is that it will do 67mpg officially and at least 60mpg in the real world. Our Bluetech VW Golf manages that on a commute.
Back to the electric thing. The best reason for buying the Renault models is that they offer good value. A Twizy is just a quick golf cart, but not as practical. For a Zoe, buy yourself a 2013 Dynamique with 40,000 miles for £5995. It’s cooler than a Leaf and cheaper, as you pay similar money for a 2012 car with over 100,000 miles.
Obviously, I’m not convinced that electric cars fit every buying scenario, but spending not much more than £5k on a small hatch – be it fossil-fuel engined or something you charge up – might just work.