Buying a used electric car - what should you watch out for?

E-mobility in Germany is taking on ever greater proportions. Even in the minds of German citizens, e-scooters, e-bikes and e-vehicles are now part of the cityscape of many metropolises in this country. The electrified vehicles are not always cheap. Anyone who is considering a used vehicle should pay attention to one thing or the other, as experts point out.

A new electric car is not cheap to buy. If you think of a current model as a new car, you either need high reserves or take it the services of an online loan claim. With the latter, the dream car can be easily realized. Because compared to a conventional installment loan, the car loan is earmarked. In this respect, approval is straightforward and can be implemented easily online. If you have any questions, there are personal customer advisors at your side as well as in a classic bank.

Anyone who has to look deeper into the drawer is looking for a used vehicle in the same way as for vehicles with a combustion engine, the electrified ones. In addition, these are even more climate-friendly, than thought. But what should you watch out for if electricity flows under the hood instead of petrol or diesel?

Battery

Probably the most important and at the same time most expensive component of an electric car is the accumulator. Its condition should be at the top when checking the vehicle. For example, the frequency of the charges and their type have an impact on performance and durability. An actual state of health of the battery in an electric vehicle can only be determined through extensive measurements. A brand retailer can at least generate a status report here. Nevertheless, experience shows that this is the case with Mileage of around 200.000 kilometers After about eight years of operation, 80 to 90 percent of the initial capacity is still available. It is important to make sure that the electric car has been driven reliably. If regular charging cycles are retained, the accumulators are subject to little aging.

wear parts

As with a vehicle with a classic combustion engine, the mileage, brakes and oil loss are just as important. The mileage, on the other hand, is not very meaningful as an example. After all, a million kilometers and more are hardly a problem. Because the electrified mobile pedestals are, especially as far as the drive train is concerned, without significant wear and tear and absolutely need no maintenance. The brakes also show a longer service life. One factor for this is recuperation, in which energy is returned to the battery via the “engine brake”. A side effect is the associated braking power, for which the brake pedal does not have to be used. On the other hand, the charging socket and charging cable are subject to increased wear. It is therefore important to take a closer look at these when making a purchase.

winter use

Nor does the buyer have to worry about using it in freezing temperatures. Because the battery technology is absolutely winterproof. This is underlined, for example, by the purchases in Norway. In 2018, over 40 percent of all new car buyers opted for an electrified one. It is particularly practical that the vehicle can be warmed up at the home socket. However, when it is very cold, the battery may lose its dynamics. This means that the acceleration does not respond as crisp as it might otherwise. The electrical braking power can also change somewhat.

Apart from the points mentioned here, the same criteria apply for the used purchase of electric vehicles as for the conventional one. So it is still important to check individual components because they are subject to wear similar to that of conventional cars.