Used Electric Car Buyers Guide
If you’re thinking of leaving behind the world of internal combustion engines and stepping into electric car ownership, read this first.
Our handy buyers guide is here to help with vital considerations. We’ll highlight some important points about usability, batteries and the like.
Is an electric car right for me?
Before you even start wading through the internet and advertisements, you need to think about whether an electric car will fit into your lifestyle. The very first basic consideration you need to think about is, “Can I recharge the car?”. If you haven’t got a garage or parking space with close access to a plug socket, then an electric car will quite literally be a non-starter.
You obviously have the option of charging the vehicle away from your home, this may be at your place of work or by utilising the UK’s EV (electric vehicle) network of charge points – if you are outside of London or the south east, these services are patchy at best.
Even if you have easy access to a public charging point, bare in mind that they may not be working, may be fully occupied or may not even cater for your type of car. Current electric vehicles utilise an industry standard seven-pin charging lead, but older EVs may only come with two or five-pin charging leads and sockets. If you’re looking at a Tesla Model S, then you will have access to the firm’s Supercharger network, which uses yet another type of charging lead that’s incompatible with any other electric vehicle.
Electric cars for long or short journeys?
What type of journey are you intending on to use the car for? If you commute on a regular basis at motorway speeds, an electric car won’t be for you as fully charged batteries will lose their charge a lot faster at high speeds. If however your regular journey is through towns at lower speeds, an EV will be ideally suited as they are designed to cope well with stop-start traffic.
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Used electric car charging options
Any used electric car you buy should come with a simple charging cable with a UK three pin plug, this is however a fairly slow method of charging, you may be better off with a charge point at home. There are Government incentives available to get an EV charging station set up at your home, and this can reduce charging times by up to 60 per cent. Upon providing proof of electric vehicle ownership you can currently apply for up to £500 off a home charge point installation, so this will be something to consider once you’ve bought an electric car.
Secondhand electric car battery life
When looking for your ideal used electric car, pay careful attention to the ability of the battery to hold it’s charge. Replacement batteries are currently very expensive so ensuring the battery has been well cared for is vital. Fully discharging and then recharging these batteries is the only way to maintain their health and ability to hold charge, therefore ask questions of the seller.
Some manufacturers offer new EV cars with monthly battery lease agreements. in some cases these can be sold on with the car, and it may be worth considering. You will have to pay in the region of £50-70 per month for the lease but the initial cost of the car will tend to be lower and you’ll avoid the risk of having to fork out for a new battery at some point in the future.
Finance for used electric cars
Finance for new electric cars is readily available from manufacturer’s own finance providers, when you are looking to buy a used electric car however, your options disappear. Once again the Car Loan Warehouse has listened to our customers and have come up with some great options for financing a used electric car.
Most high street lenders and other online car finance brokers will run for the hills as soon as you mention you wish to finance a used electric car (or even a hybrid). Give our expert team a call and we’ll offer you fantastic finance options for your next eco-friendly vehicle, hassle free.
Quick, Easy Approval
On average loans are approved within 60 minutes of submitting your details to us