Published reports suggest that close to 80 percent of all new electric vehicles are leased, in part to help keep down payments and monthly expenditures low, and to help green-minded motorists ensure they’ll keep up with the latest technology. EV sales during 2016 totaled just over 159,000 units, which means around 127,000 of them will be coming off a three-year lease during 2019.
That’s a relative flood of gently used late-model electrified rides heading back to dealers’ used-car lots this year. You can save a considerable amount of cash choosing a pre-owned EV, like any of the models listed for sale here on MYEV.com, instead of a new one. With perhaps the exception of Tesla models, older EVs suffer from lower-than-average resale values, due largely to the $7,500 federal tax credit issued to new-EV buyers and other factors. In this case, someone else’s loss would definitely be your gain.
Unfortunately, for the most part (again, Teslas are the exceptions to the rule) older EVs tend not to have the operating range of some of the latest models that can run well in excess of 200 miles on a charge. Range is arguably the most important buying consideration, perhaps next to price, among EV shoppers in either the new or used market.
That's why we compiled the above slideshow, which lists the seven EVs from the 2016 model year that afford the most number of miles with a full battery. Of course, these are average ranges, based on estimates that come from the Environmental Protection Agency, and will vary based on a number of factors, including ambient temperature, vehicle speed, and use of accessories.
What’s more, you can expect a given EV’s battery capacity to degrade a bit over time, though a three-year-old model that by nature tends to be driven fewer annual miles than the norm shouldn’t suffer much in that regard. Plus, federal law mandates that all EV batteries be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty for at least 8 years or 100,000 miles (whichever comes first), with that protection automatically extending to subsequent owners.
When examining a used EV, be sure to take note of the vehicle’s state of charge (SOC) gauge showing the battery charged at 100 percent, with the number of miles projected before it becomes depleted, and compare this to the original range estimate when new.