Buying a used electric vehicle

New electric vehicles remain (very) expensive to buy. Fortunately, there's good news for those who want to get one. As electric vehicles have already been on the market for several years and the first lease contracts are coming to an end, the second-hand market for so-called "plug-in" cars is starting to grow strongly.
What should you watch out for if you want to buy a used electric car? Our blogger Alain Dierckx gives us a few explanations.

Few Belgians trust the battery of a used electric car

The 4th Redion Belgium Mobility Barometer showed that 71% of Belgians surveyed don't (yet) want to buy a used electric car.
46% of them are worried about running into issues with batteries that are worn out or less efficient than those of new cars.
Is this fear justified?

Buying a used electric vehicle: the points to check

The condition and warranty of the electric vehicle's battery

We know that the battery is the heart of the electric vehicle. Car manufacturers generally offer an eight- to ten-year warranty on the battery, or up to 160,000 or 180,000 kilometres. If the battery's capacity drops below 70% during this period, the battery will then be replaced free of charge. Before buying the used vehicle, we therefore advise you to check the length of this warranty.

The vehicle's range

The range of older electric vehicles is generally lower than that of new models sold today.

As a result, it's best to do a test drive:

• Ask the seller to fully charge the battery.
• Drive a mixed route: town, motorway and regional roads.
• Then compare the number of kilometres travelled with the figure given when the car was new (this information can be found online or in the instruction manual).
• Compare this data with your own journeys and your own usage. The range you calculate may well suit you.

Charging the battery

The charging time of a used vehicle and the type of cable are important factors to consider.

Charge the car yourself after the test drive:

• Charge the car and compare the charging time to the one specified when the car was new.
• Check whether the car can be fast-charged and test this function too.
• Check whether the car can be charged at home with a three-phase connection if needed.
• Think about how often you'll need to charge during your journeys and where this can be done (along the way, at home, at work…).

Ask for information about how the vehicle was used

Ask the seller about the following:

• How often was the battery charged? (the higher the frequency, the less efficient the battery).
• Did the seller often drive with the battery almost empty or below 20%?
• Did the seller always charge the vehicle above 80%?
• Was the car parked outdoors, in high or low temperatures?
• Was the battery sometimes left completely flat for long periods?

Should you have an electric vehicle's battery officially tested?

As electric vehicles have been on sale for several years now, it's been observed that battery "degradation" isn't as fast as expected. This is obviously good news. With few exceptions, the battery of a five-year-old electric vehicle still has, on average, more than 90% of its original starting capacity.

How can you have an electric vehicle's battery officially tested?

There are organisations that test electric vehicle batteries for a fee. One of them, which has been around for almost a hundred years, is the company DEKRA.

The test takes about 15 minutes, can take place anywhere, and gives an idea of the vehicle battery's remaining capacity. The term generally used to describe the result is "state of health", and it's an asset for the seller, at least if the result is positive.

The charging cable

When taking delivery of the vehicle, don't forget to check that the charging cable is included.

The roadworthiness test

Before buying, check whether the vehicle has undergone a roadworthiness test and what the result was. Just like for combustion-engine vehicles, testing an electric vehicle is mandatory, and the deadlines are the same as for a combustion-engine car.

The roadworthiness test of an electric vehicle is important because these vehicles are heavier and can reach sportier performance levels, which wears certain components (including the tyres) more quickly. The checks carried out during the roadworthiness test are identical to those for a combustion-engine vehicle inspection, except for the emissions test (which is, of course, unnecessary).