Checking the condition of a used electric vehicle (EV) is rather different from checking a conventional car with pistons and oily bits. In some ways it’s easier. For a start, there’s nothing you can scrutinise in the “engine”. The motor or motors are one or more sealed units. Regenerative braking means the brakes wear much less and, with far fewer moving parts, EVs are generally more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.
Nevertheless, there are some things you can take a look at that will help reduce the risk of repair bills further down the line.
EV batteries have proved to be more resilient than some people feared in the early days. Most batteries carry decent warranties, so you should have some peace of mind until they’re at least eight years old or have covered 80,000 miles, provided the servicing conditions have been met.
Nevertheless, battery replacement on a car out of warranty will probably exceed the entire vehicle’s value, so a proper check is important. The ideal is a battery state of health (SOH) report, which can usually be obtained from a main dealer for the make of car. The seller should be prepared to supply one.
Other independent reports are available, but one from the dealer probably gives most reassurance. The report tells you what percentage of the battery’s capacity is left. Allow for it to lose about 1 to 2 per cent a year, so a five-year-old car with a remaining capacity of 95 per cent or more is a good bet. A capacity of under 90 per cent on a five-year-old car is quite unusual, so be wary.
One crucial factor for battery health is how it has been charged. Regular charging via a 7kW charger at work or at home is best, so if buying privately, look at the seller’s property to see if you can spot a charger. If they don’t have a driveway or a car charger, ask them how they have charged the car. Is there a charger at work, for example? Frequent charging at fast-charging points will make the battery degrade faster. Keeping the state of charge (SOC) between 20 and 80 per cent also prolongs battery life.
Finally, test the range while you’re test driving the car. Try to see if the miles you cover correspond with the decrease in charge. For example, if the car is charged to 80 per cent and the range showing is 200 miles, take a 20-mile test drive, which is 10 per cent of that range. That should leave about 180 miles and the remaining charge of about 72 per cent. Use the heater or air conditioning as you would normally during the drive.
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Has it been driven much on motorways?
A lot of motorway driving may mean that it has had quite a lot of fast charging at service areas, which risks degrading the battery. Stone chips on the bonnet and no corresponding chips on the sides or rear can indicate that the car has been used mainly for longer trips. Likewise over 10,000 miles a year on the clock and immaculate rear seats — which suggest the car has been used for longer business trips rather than shorter family outings. A good SOH check is even more important if you suspect this.
Check out the charging leads
Find out what charging leads are included. You should have at least a cable with a seven-pin plug on each end, known as a Type 2. This is more or less standard right across Europe now for public car chargers and home charge points. (Older EVs such as the first Nissan Leaf had a Type 1 lead, but Type 2 has been the standard for the past seven or eight years.)
A lead with a 13-amp three-pin household plug on one end, a seven-pin plug for the car on the other is also very useful. Known as a “granny lead” — the kind your granny might have at home — rather than a dedicated EV charging point (wallbox), it enables you to charge the car (slowly) from a standard household socket when visiting relatives who have no charge point. Be warned, however: some types of lead may cause the household socket to overheat. The best solution is a special weatherproof EV extension granny lead such as this.
The Type 2 lead and the extension granny lead will each cost in the region of £80 to £120, so if they’re not with the car, adjust your offer accordingly.
The car may have an extra two-pin connector below the seven-pin one. This is for very high-power DC public chargers, but these charging units generally have leads attached to them that plug directly into your car, so you’ll rarely need a lead of your own.
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Take note of the coolant level
An EV still has coolant, to regulate the battery temperature, so check the filler to make sure the level hasn’t dropped. The system should never need topping up, so a low level suggests a leak, which can be an expensive problem.
Test drive with suspension in mind
EVs are heavier than ICE cars. The suspension is usually upgraded to account for this, but there may be greater wear on the joints, so plan your test drive to include a rough section of road with potholes (you shouldn’t have much problem finding one). Listen for any knocks or rattles as you drive over the bumps.
Read the service history
Although servicing for EVs is much simpler than for ICE cars, it is still important. There are lots of checks made during a service that can reveal that work will soon be needed. Punctual servicing will also be a condition of the warranty being valid, so a full service history is as important as it is for ICE cars.
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What does the warranty cover?
Talking of the warranty, check what is covered and for how long. As mentioned, the battery will be covered for at least eight years/80,000 miles, and ten years for some makes. But most of the other items, such as suspension joints, wheel bearings, the infotainment system and so on, will have shorter warranties. Either find the warranty booklet or look online. If an anti-perforation or battery warranty requires annual checks, make sure they have been done.
Push buttons and try out the touchscreen
Modern cars are coming with more and more gadgets to help the driver stay safe, keep passengers entertained and comfortable, and make us all feel pampered. Unfortunately, they can have glitches. Try every button and go through touchscreen menus. Turn the air conditioning to cold and make sure an icy blast comes from the vents. Then turn the heat up and check the air warms up quickly. Try the voice control and make sure your phone functions link to the car as they should.
