What people who want to buy a second-hand electric car should pay attention to. What experts recommend

A growing market for second-hand electric cars is developing in Romania. There are used “green” cars for sale on specialized websites, but not all buyers know what to look out for when buying such a vehicle.

Experts say that the condition of the battery is the most important aspect to consider before purchasing the car.

What potential customers need to do

The more kilometers a car has traveled, the more its battery has lost power. To do a thorough check, potential customers should go directly to the dealership where the car was purchased.

More and more ads of electric cars have appeared on second-hand car sales sites. Because the waiting time for new cars is long, some drivers turn to used ones. But for many of them, buying such a vehicle is an unknown.

The most important thing is the condition of the battery, say car experts. Normally, the manufacturer’s warranty on batteries is eight years or 160,000 kilometers. The older a car, the poorer the battery performance.

Matas Buzelis, automotive expert and Head of Communications at CarVertical: “If the car has many kilometers, it is clear that the battery will have less capacity left. When the car was new, maybe you could travel 150 kilometers, after five years it can go 120 kilometers and maybe after ten years it will go 90 kilometers. And the price of the car will be lower and lower“.

Expert recommendations

So, before buying a second-hand electric car, the battery must be checked by specialists. To change the battery, it can cost you 30% of the price of the car, and auto experts recommend purchasing a new vehicle in such situations.

Andrei Dumitrescu, car analyst: “In the case of electric cars, there are not so many second-hand car specialists anymore and my recommendation is that a customer who wants a second-hand electric car should go directly to the representative of the respective brand to have it checked, in especially of the high voltage part of the battery, main batteries for that car. This check is done with some special devices that only the dealerships have“.

On the other hand, used electric vehicles are in better condition than traditional ones, because they have fewer moving parts and after purchase, a large amount of money does not need to be invested in repairs. Also, electric cars are cost-effective for cities where there are several charging stations. Drivers who live or work far from these places can waste a lot of time waiting for their car to charge.

How many charging stations are there in Romania?

In Romania, there are, on average, 1.3 charging stations every 100 kilometers. The difference is huge compared to the Netherlands, where there are 64 over the same distance. Luxembourg, Germany, Portugal and Sweden are also at the top, and at the opposite pole with the fewest charging points are Lithuania, Cyprus, Greece, Estonia and Poland.

On the Romanian market, the price for a second-hand electric car starts at eight or nine euros, according to a study by the largest online classifieds platform in Romania.