There’s an old motor trade saying that every used car started out as a new one. And with electric cars leaving forecourts in ever-larger numbers over the past few years, the supply of used examples is expanding quickly.
For buyers, it’s no longer a leap into the unknown. There’s an ever-increasing choice of long-range, fast-charging models for different needs and a growing network of specialist garages who can sell and work on them, and the surge in supply means there are some good deals available.
So, what do you need to know? Read on as we reveal all the tips to help bag a top used BEV.
What are the different types of electric car?
Plug-in cars come in a few different forms, so whether you’re all in on battery power or just looking to cut the cost and emissions out of your local journeys, there are several different ways to go electric. These are:
Battery-electric vehicles (or BEVs) are, as the name suggests, powered entirely by electricity. Advances in battery technology allied to the UK’s increasingly widespread public charging network are steadily eroding ‘range anxiety’, with some of the latest models offering in excess of 500 miles on a full charge with short mid-journey top-ups. Unless you’re shopping for a really early BEV, most offer a range of about 200-250 miles.
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) combine a combustion engine with a couple of electric motors and a battery that can be charged from the mains. Early cars offered a range of 20-30 miles, which is ideal for emission-free local trips, but 40-50 is the norm for more recent models. Once that range is depleted, it works like a regular hybrid, using the electric motors to assist the engine and boost efficiency.
Range-Extenders (E-REVs, or REX) are somewhere between a BEV and PHEV. They have an electric powertrain that is solely responsible for sending power to the wheels, but they also feature a combustion engine that works a generator to top up the battery after the plug-in range is depleted. Like a PHEV, this means you can just fill up with fuel if you need to go further.
Which type of electric car is right for me?
With the EU and UK looking to phase out new petrol and diesel cars within a decade, there has been a huge push for better EV technology over the past few years, and that means there is plenty of choice – from city cars to SUVs – to meet your practical needs. The biggest deciding factor is access to charging.
If you’ve got a driveway, a garage or an allocated parking space, then a home charging point turns it into your own personal fuel station. Most drivers would only need to plug in every few days to have enough range for commuting and local trips, and home chargers also offer access to the cheapest electricity rates – just 2p per mile, compared with around 15p for a typical petrol or diesel family car.
Home chargers are one of the few remaining incentives if you’re buying a second-hand EV. The government offers up to £500 towards the total cost, including installation, but that's only for drivers who live in flats, rented accommodation and houses without off-street parking. Otherwise, they’re priced between £700 and £1000, but even so, a charger is well worth the investment.
Unless you’ve got a charger at work, the alternative is more complicated. Public charging costs are upwards of nine times pricier than those cheap-rate home tariffs, and you’ll need to find opportunities to top up during the week, such as plugging in at a supermarket while doing your shopping.
And yes, that also applies to PHEVs. If you’re relying on pricey public charging or never plugging in at all (which is an option), then you’ll be paying extra for technology that won’t deliver any useful reduction in running costs.
BEVs and PHEVs (including range-extenders) are both fine for longer-haul work, too, but they have slightly different pros and cons.
A BEV will go further on a full charge, so there’s more chance you’ll get to wherever you’re going using nothing but cheap home electricity, and you’ll get most of that range back in half an hour if you need to stop en route. Most can now go far enough, and charge quickly enough, that you can plug in while you stop instead of stopping to plug in.
PHEVs take longer to charge and don’t go as far on battery power, but they have the advantage of much shorter refuelling stops if you’re going any distance. Again, it’s pricier than using electricity from home, but running in hybrid mode is potentially cheaper per mile than using the fastest rapid chargers.
How much does a used EV cost?
The UK’s EV market has boomed over the past few years, largely off the back of cheap company car tax rates introduced in 2020. Company car drivers can save around 80% on their tax bills by going electric (slightly less if they opt for a PHEV), and it has led to a resurgence in demand.
Three quarters of company cars were BEVs or PHEVs in 2024/25, and businesses account for three out of every four plug-in registrations. Most are on three-year lease contracts, which means there’s a healthy supply entering the used market today.
Unfortunately, the incentives for second owners are much less generous. All EVs attract the same vehicle excise duty (VED, or ‘road tax’) rates as petrol, diesel and hybrid cars, and there’s an Expensive Car Supplement for the most expensive models. This is an additional £440 (plus inflation each year) added on top of the first five VED renewals for PHEVs worth more than £40,000 and BEVs over £50,000 (if they were registered after 1 April 2026).
That lack of support for the used market, coupled with aggressive discounts on new cars, has put pressure on second-hand prices. A used EV often costs no more than a petrol or diesel car, which is good news if you’re in the market for one.
Where can you buy a second-hand EV?
The most straightforward route is your local main dealer and the manufacturer’s approved used scheme. It’s the priciest option but offers the peace of mind of a factory-backed warranty, thorough checks by a brand-specialist workshop and more choice of financing options. That often includes a personal contract purchase (PCP), which enables you to access much cheaper monthlies than funding the entire car through a loan or hire purchase (HP).
There’s also growing demand for leasing second-hand EVs. The latest figures from industry body the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) show there are 21,309 used cars in personal contract hire (PCH) contracts. This offers fixed monthly rentals for (typically) three years, without taking on any of the re-sale risks at the end of the contract, and at a lower cost than leasing new. But, unlike PCPs, there’s no option to buy the car outright at the end of that period.
The alternative is buying through a specialist EV dealer, where you’ll get the reassurance of a business that knows the technology inside out, or from the same used-car showrooms and private sales you would visit if you were shopping for a petrol or diesel vehicle. With an influx of supply, EVs are increasingly becoming a regular part of the used car market, but it’s important to know what you’re looking out for if you’re stepping away from the specialists.
What should I look for when buying an electric car?
Like any second-hand vehicle, there’s always some degree of risk involved with buying used. However, an EV needn’t be as daunting as it sounds.
Despite the technology on board, an electric powertrain has only a handful of moving parts and doesn’t require anywhere near the level of servicing and maintenance of a combustion engine. With no annual oil changes, spark plugs, filters or belts, and no clutch, some BEVs only require a service every couple of years, although obviously a PHEV or range-extender still has those parts on board.
Like any other car, it’s important to check that any servicing and maintenance has been carried out in line with manufacturer requirements, especially if it’s still within its factory warranty. This also ensures that it’s had the latest software updates and can indicate where warranty work or recalls have been carried out.
All electric cars are heavier than their petrol or diesel counterparts, so it’s important to check the tyres and brakes for wear and listen for knocking suspension components on the test drive, just as you would any other model.
Check the boot for charging cables and make sure those are in good condition, because they can cost a couple of hundred quid to replace if they’re faulty. Most cars come with a ‘Type 2’ cable, compatible with home, workplace and public chargers, but a few also include a back-up that will plug into a regular three-pin socket. The latter is a nice-to-have, so don’t be put off if it’s not there.
Then there’s the battery. Batteries steadily lose capacity with use, but there are plenty of BEVs with more than 200,000 miles on the clock and a still-usable range. It’s why manufacturers have offered steadily more generous warranties on the most expensive component of the powertrain. Eight years and 100,000 miles is the norm, but that only covers excessive range loss.
Unfortunately, it’s still quite hard to find to access information about battery health. The latest round of European emissions regulations (known as Euro 7) includes a requirement for cars to make that data (as a percentage of the factory capacity) more readily available, but it’s still an exception in the used market. Some dealers, particularly if they’re specialists, will include their own battery health check for peace of mind, which is certainly desirable.
One last edge case to consider is battery leasing. Renault and Nissan offered options for early adopters to lease the battery separately from the rest of the car, but it was complicated and short-lived. Both have since let owners buy the battery outright, but it’s worth checking this before you buy or you’ll still be paying for the monthly rentals.
How reliable are electric cars?
Given their relative mechanical simplicity, you’d expect electric vehicles to be more reliable that their ICE counterparts – and, overall, you would be right. But that’s not to say these machines are infallible and, like all cars, you can expect the occasional fault.
According to the most recent EV reliability study by our sibling publication What Car?, the BMW i3 is the most dependable model, followed by its stablemate, the i4, and the second-generation Nissan LEAF in third place. All of them suffered issues, but they were typically resolved quickly at a main dealer.
Like all cars, EVs are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty from new, which, depending on the make and model, is typically three years. However, some firms favour more generous terms for their guarantees with, for example, Honda, Hyundai and Renault offering five years of cover, while Kia delivers seven. That means many of these will have a chunky balance of their original warranties available to used buyers.
And, crucially, most EVs include that even longer warranty for the battery, guaranteeing at least 70% of the factory capacity for up to eight years and 100,000 miles. Euro 7 is setting even stricter requirements of 80% after five years and 100,000km (62,000 miles), and 72% after eight years and 160,000km (99,000 miles). That’s not an indication of real-world losses – most EVs shouldn’t be anywhere near those limits.
For older vehicles, independent specialists such as Warrantywise and the RAC are now offering EV-specific extended cover packages, which are tailored specifically to electric vehicles and their high-voltage components. It’s an important step towards them feeling less like a step into the unknown.
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