Should I buy a new or used electric car?

I am too confused to make the right decision in buying my first electric car either new or used. I hardly do 5,000 miles a year.

I average 400 miles a month, all within city. I do motorway maximum 40 one-way miles, very rare, once a month.

My preference is an SUV type but I don’t mind buying a used Hyundai Ionic as well. If I buy new then I would like to keep for 10 years at least.

These are the cars I'm considering in order of preference.

1) Mazda MX-30 (my concern is, is it worth buying because of a small battery?)
2) MG ZS EV (not sure about its durability and customer service if anything goes wrong)
3) Hyundai Kona (looks small SUV but not sure)
4) Hyundai ionic (If I buy used one I'm not sure about a used battery)

Shall I buy new or used one? When I calculated the difference in price between used and new one it's £5,000-£6,000! Or do you suggest I wait for 2023 to see if prices drop?

Asked on 14 September 2022 by mash

Answered by Andrew Brady

There's a temptation when buying your first electric car to buy one with the biggest battery (and therefore longest range) possible. If you rarely ever travel more than 40 miles in one go then resist this - a bigger battery is a) expensive and b) heavy; so you're wasting money and lugging around a heavy battery that you don't need.

With that in mind, it sounds like the Mazda MX-30 could be a good choice. It's a very desirable small SUV with a modern cabin, well suited to urban driving thanks to its relatively small 35.5kWh battery pack. High demand means used prices are expensive but you could at least skip the waiting list by seeking out an as-new pre-registered model.

Tags: buying a used car buying a new car electric cars buying an ev

Similar questions

Should we buy a PHEV, mild hybrid or pure electric vehicle?

Nine years and 111,000 miles ago I bought a Mazda 5 on your advice which has served me well but is getting tired. My wife has a 13 year old Nissan Micra which has done 60,000 miles. Along with solar panels...

Electric car grant, is VAT included?

I was expecting to see a £2,500 reduction on our invoice for the price of the car. Instead, I see £2083.33 to which they add VAT, to make £2,500. Shouldn't I expect the whole £2,500 off the price?

Am I still entitled to the £2,500 plug-in car grant?

I paid a £500 deposit to secure an electric car from a main dealer, pending the financial arrangements being made. This was on 12 December. I was also given a lease contract statement which states valid...

Related models