http://www.caranddriver.com/features/three-electric-vehicles-you-can-own-for-less-than-10000-feature Electrifying Bargains: Three Electric Vehicles You Can Own for Less Than $10,000 Nov 2015 AARON ROBINSON
[image http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/electrifying-bargains-inline-photo-664374-s-original.jpg (Leaf EV) http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/electrifying-bargains-inline2-i-miev-photo-664375-s-original.jpg (imiev dash) http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/electrifying-bargains-inline3-leaf-photo-664378-s-original.jpg (Leaf dash) http://media.caranddriver.com/images/media/51/electrifying-bargains-inline4-fortwo-ed-photo-664377-s-original.jpg (Smart dash) ] EVs hit the used-car market, hard. You need an extra car, maybe for a teenager or a spouse returning to work, or an elderly parent who lives at home. This car won’t go on long trips and you don’t want to pay a lot, but you also don’t want a hooptie headache with a bad transmission or a blown head gasket. Your answer may be a used electric vehicle. Thanks to government regulation that forces automakers to dump electric cars on the market, there are some, er, shockingly good deals out there on used electric vehicles. If you wouldn’t mind paying $7000 for a mint 2012-model four-door hatchback showing just 3200 miles, read on. Electric vehicles hit the market in significant numbers starting with the 2011 Nissan Leaf. Though the demand for pure electrics remains quite small, finding an inexpensive, low-mileage used one is not difficult. A recent nationwide search on the popular shopping website Cars.com turned up 294 used plug-in EVs priced at $10,000 or less. The oldest was a 2011 Nissan Leaf with about 15,000 miles for $9999. The cheapest was a 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV with 10,000 miles for $5985. EVs aren’t for everyone, which is why they’re so cheap. Depending on the battery’s size and age, the cars can only go 50 to 100 miles on a charge. Plus, buyers of used EVs aren’t eligible for the federal tax credit offered to new-vehicle customers. However, most people drive fewer miles daily than the range of a typical EV (a customer survey says that Chevy Volt owners drive 41 miles daily on average), and “fueling” an EV is less expensive than filling a gasoline or diesel vehicle. Charge at night, when electricity rates can be lower, and it may cost as little as two cents a mile compared with 12 cents or so for a 30-mpg gasoline car. Plus, the EV will never need an oil change or tune-up. If all that sounds good, maybe you’re ready to go electric. We’ve profiled three used EVs that sell for less than $10,000. Prices vary and it pays to shop around, even if you must have the car shipped. Mitsubishi i-MiEV What it is: An electrified version of Mitsubishi’s odd little Japanese-market i mini-car. Battery capacity and normal range: 16 kWh, 50–70 miles Pros: Tiny on the outside, big on the inside; easy to park and garage; ridiculously small turning circle; heated driver’s seat, auto-temp air conditioning standard. Cons: Wee battery pack, small-car ride, nonadjustable steering column, hardly luxurious. Buying tip: SE Premium models have aluminum wheels, navigation, Bluetooth, and a quick charger, but they’re rare, while the raspberry paint color is rampant. Nissan Leaf What it is: Nissan’s bold venture into mass-market EVs produced this friendly and fairly normal four-door hatchback. Battery capacity and normal range: 24 kWh, 60–90 miles Pros: Quiet and soft, nav system has a charge-station finder and clever range displays, many available from early adopters moving to BMW i3s and Teslas. Cons: Baggy styling, not much fun, one of the heavier EVs at up to 3400 pounds, some have a slower 3.3-kWh charger, battery degradation can be an issue. Buying tip: Best value is an SL with the quick-charge port, which can provide an 80-percent charge in 30 minutes. Smart Fortwo ED What it is: An electric version of Smart’s two-seat city buggy. Battery capacity and normal range: 17.6 kWh, 50–75 miles Pros: Parks in your pocket, the lightest EV at around 2100 pounds, you don’t have to worry about your teenager taking lots of friends along, it drives better than the gas-powered Smart. Cons: Slow steering, weird handling, not many EV driving aids in the gauges or the navigation system, governed at 78 mph. Buying tip: The Smart Fortwo ED Cabriolet is the only electric convertible besides the Tesla Roadster. So, you’ll have that going for you. It’s all about the battery. The two things potential EV buyers worry about are range and the longevity of the lithium-ion battery pack, which can cost thousands to replace. Luckily, almost every used EV on the market is still covered by its eight-year/ 100,000-mile factory battery warranty, which means the pack will be replaced if its performance declines. Meanwhile, there are ways to put off the battery’s demise. First, buy a car with low miles. Second, look for cars from more-temperate climates, as Phoenix’s summer heat and North Dakota’s cold can shorten the pack’s life. A Carfax report will tell you where the car was sold new and where it was serviced, as well as if it suffered a collision. Judging from forum chatter, most EVs run happily for years and to well over 50,000 miles without losing any appreciable range. You can stretch the pack’s life further by following the charging tips in your owner’s manual, such as minimizing the number of times you plug in with more than a half charge. Smartphone apps such as caniOn for the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Leaf Spy for the Nissan Leaf communicate with your car via a Bluetooth transmitter (about $35) plugged into your OBD II port. They help you monitor and maintain the battery pack and diagnose trouble. As hybrids took off, a few companies got into pack repair, a less expensive alternative to outright replacement. No doubt such services will be available to EV owners once more of them are on the road. Should you need a complete replacement, a Nissan Leaf battery costs about $6000 installed. If you score a good deal on a used Leaf, even if you have to replace the pack a few years down the road, you may still come out ahead over a conventionally powered beater bought for the same price. 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