This summer, Carrie Dunstan and his partner set out to buy an electric car. And one of their first questions was, “What about the battery?”
They found a 2021 Nissan Leaf with only 47,000 kilometres on the odometer. The seller assured that the condition of the battery (SOH) was about 93 per cent.
The deal was done: the couple got an electric car with a fairly spacious interior and boot.
Although he Dunstan, a carpenter by trade and owner of a more “cool” electric Volvo, is not enthusiastic about the Leaf.
“I like sporty and flashy cars, and this Leaf is… well, so-so,” he laughs.
But in three months of using the car, it has performed exactly as expected – with no unpleasant surprises.
Battery is the new key criterion
In the past, when choosing a used car, buyers looked first at the year and mileage.
But with the transition to electric vehicles, the main thing becomes different – the condition of the battery.
How was it treated before?
Was it charged to 100 per cent?
Such habits can significantly reduce battery life – and that’s what scares many people who are planning to buy a used electric car.
However, companies specialising in battery analytics assure: it is now possible to accurately determine the real condition of a battery, even an old one.
And the Dunstan doesn’t have a sophisticated liquid battery cooling system like many other electric cars.
Although Nissan has already fixed this in the new generation Leaf, the range is gradually decreasing in older models – year after year. Data from US insurance and research company NimbleFins shows that.
“I charge both my electric cars to 100 per cent and recharge when needed. And I don’t bother,” he says with a smile.
Photo by Kerry Dunstan
How to check a used electric car battery
For those who want to buy a used electric car and are worried about the condition of the battery, Austrian company Aviloo has a solution.
” We can determine the condition independently and accurately,” explains Product Director Patrick Schabus.
Aviloo is one of several companies specialising in battery analytics. It offers two types of t.
No!” says Berger. – Even with this indicator, an electric car can drive just fine. It’s just the price has to match its actual condition “.
What other owners say
In New Zealand, Lucy Hawcroft bought a Leaf with her husband three years ago.
She was told at the showroom that the condition of the battery (SOH) was about 95 per cent. But a year later, an independent mechanic checked the car again – and the figure was much lower.
However, when fully charged, the Leaf still travels about 160 kilometres. The couple uses it mainly for short journeys – up to 10 kilometres.
” We have friends with electric cars that do 400 kilometres on a single charge. It would be great to have that range,” smiles Lucy.
David Smith, sales director at Cleevely Electric Vehicles in Cheltenham, UK, notes: ‘A detailed battery analysis often resolves the need to replace individual cell groups or modules within the battery – it’s much cheaper than fitting a new battery completely,’ adds managing director Matt Cleevely.
Charging and longevity
As for how to charge an electric car properly to extend battery life, Professor Simon Honoree of Stanford University advises looking for a balance.
“There is probably a middle ground between charging too often and not charging fast enough and not charging at all,” she says.
At the same time, Honoree adds: so far, the topic has not been sufficiently studied, so there are no universal rules.
Max Reed of research company CRU points out that battery technology has improved significantly in recent years.
“Batteries used to last 500-1,000 cycles, now they last up to 10,000 cycles in new models. That’s a huge advancement.
Batteries that