The car battery is the centerpiece – also in terms of price
The most important and most expensive component of an e-car is the battery. Over time it loses capacity and when providing 70% of its initial charging capacity, the battery is replaced. The capacity of a battery can be analyzed with a diagnostic device. The result will be useful for a purchase decision.
Capacity becomes cheaper
The quality, efficiency and durability of batteries increase with each new product generation, battery capacity gets cheaper and cheaper. This means that a year-old used e-car may cost the same as a corresponding new car with a larger battery capacity. Nevertheless, the purchase of a used e-car is definitely an option, if you consider the rather long waiting lists.
The price differences
Prices vary widely. The decisive factors are year of construction, kilometers driven and, above all, the performance and size of the battery. Price comparison is made even more difficult if the battery in a comparison model is rented from the manufacturer and is therefore not included in the sales price. If you buy an e-car with a rental battery, you have to add the monthly rent for the battery to the purchase price.
Assessing battery performance
Batteries in use are designed for 500 to 1000 charging cycles. If you estimate the charging cycles of your dream e-vehicle, you can estimate how often the car has been charged. As an example: the battery of a Tesla with 80’000 kilometers and an assumed range of 300 kilometers has run through around 270 charging cycles. The larger the battery, the smaller the risk that the battery is near the end of its life.
Rapid charging damages the battery
Try to find out what the seller’s charging behavior is like. Frequent use of rapid charging stations damages the battery. With rapid charging, high currents flow, the cells become hot and the battery ages faster.
Intelligent test drive
It makes sense to test drive the car on the route on which you are usually on the road. You will find out how far the battery takes you. Whether you need to charge on the go, where you can do it, how you can do it. The type 2 plug, which works everywhere, is the one you want.
Guaranteed
Many manufacturers give a guarantee on new batteries with a service life of between 150,000 and 200,000 kilometers. Others guarantee a service life of mostly eight years. The guarantee covers a battery capacity of 70 percent of the output power. If you check whether the battery is still under warranty when buying a used electric car, you reduce a major risk of buying a used e-car.
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