Buying a used electric car

In a used electric car the battery is the part that matters most. These 16 checks help you find out its condition and whether the car suits your driving.

1. 1How do you find out the battery's condition?

   • Ask for a battery health report (SoH) as a percentage. Ask when and with what equipment it was measured — a measurement is not an estimate.
   • Compare the battery's net capacity (kWh) with a new battery in the same model. The same model may have been sold with several battery sizes.
   • Ask how often the car has been fast-charged. Frequent fast charging stresses the battery more than slow charging at home.
   • Find out whether the battery has a valid manufacturer warranty and to which year or mileage it runs.

2. 2Is the range enough for your driving?

   • Ask for the real winter range, not the WLTP figure. In frost the range is clearly shorter than stated.
   • Take your longest regular trip there and back and compare it with the winter range. Leave a margin.
   • Check whether the car has a heat pump. It affects winter range and how quickly the car warms up.
   • Watch how the range estimate changes during the test drive. An estimate that drops quickly is a reason to ask more.

3. 3What do you need to know about charging?

   • Check the car's charging connector and its maximum DC charging power in kilowatts. It decides how fast the car charges at a fast charger.
   • Check the maximum AC charging power too. It decides how fast the car charges at home or at work.
   • Ask which charging cables come with the car. A missing cable is a purchase worth knowing about in advance.
   • Think about where the car will be charged day to day. With no charge point at home, look up the nearest public chargers before you buy.

4. 4What else do you look at in an electric car?

   • Go through the service history. An electric car needs scheduled servicing too, and the stamps show whether it was done.
   • Look at the tyres. An electric car is heavy and wears tyres, so check tread depth and the week of manufacture.
   • Check the brakes. An electric car brakes a lot with its motor, and brake discs that see little use can rust.
   • Ask whether the software updates are installed and whether the app and remote features still work.