The Expert Podcast

As electric vehicles become more popular, one of the things that's going to change quite a bit is the number and percentage of electric vehicles in the used car market. Used EVs are, right now, pretty much a rare find on a used car lot or even a new car dealer's inventory. However, as used EVs become more common, you'll likely see them in inventories. But the question is: if you're looking at a used electric vehicle, do you have to look at the odometer mileage in the same way you would as a used gasoline vehicle? Does it even matter how many miles are on the odometer of an electric vehicle?

One of the reasons that question comes up is because when electric vehicles are used, there are not as many moving parts. There's no engine, transmission, pumps, or hydraulic systems—it's all in the electrical components. Electric engines are much less prone to wear and tear compared to internal combustion and internally lubricated engines. An internal combustion engine has a lot more moving parts, fluids, lubricants, and things that can break inside that engine.

One of the things you'll find on electric vehicles is that there are no oil changes, no spark plugs, and no belts or hoses, which are the things that wear out most of the time. One of the most expensive and common repairs on a gasoline engine is an O2 sensor, which senses the amount of oxygen in mixtures of gas to determine how much fuel to put into the engine. This is not necessary on an electric vehicle. Additionally, one of the biggest parts of a car in the news these days is catalytic converters. They're stolen very frequently from gasoline vehicles, and replacing them can cost several thousand dollars. Used EVs, however, do not have catalytic converters, so you don't have to worry about that.

But what do you need to worry about on an electric vehicle? Obviously, the biggest factor is the battery's longevity. How much longer is that battery going to last? That's why you want to have that battery checked out. It's not so much the mileage; it's how much lifespan is left on that battery. Just because an electric vehicle has high miles—let's say 200,000 to 250,000 miles—doesn't mean it’s less reliable. There are no mechanical moving parts that are prone to wear out. While electric motors that drive the wheels do exist, they are much more durable than reciprocating, lubricated combustion engines.

Think about it—combustion is exactly what it sounds like. Something is burning, and there are explosions in that engine every single time it revolves. Thousands and thousands of explosions happen in a gasoline engine every single minute. With an electric vehicle, it's simply an electric motor. Electric motors are used in industrial equipment, even in your house, and they last 15 to 20 years without even being noticed. These moving parts really aren't at risk; it's the battery that's the problem, just like with your phone. How often is the battery failure the thing that makes your mobile device need to be replaced?

So, how do you make sure you're getting an electric vehicle with a good battery? There are ways to test it to ensure it was maintained properly and is not worn out. Most batteries have a warranty of 100,000 to 150,000 miles, and some may have a year limit. You have to be careful about this because if a battery has a 150,000-mile warranty but your vehicle only has 80,000 miles, you might think you have 70,000 miles left on the battery. However, if the warranty is for five years, and there's only a year left on the time, that could be a problem. So, you have to look at it both ways.

Electric vehicles are much less determined in value by the miles on the odometer compared to gasoline vehicles. While you don't have to necessarily scrutinize the miles on the odometer, you do want to make sure that you're checking the basic functions of that electric vehicle battery to make sure it charges properly and still holds close to 100% capacity. Additionally, check that you still have the range you're supposed to have.

One of the other things that will wear out on electric vehicles faster than gasoline vehicles are the tires. We'll do another video on this in the coming weeks, but tires on a gasoline vehicle really only experience pressure when you're accelerating or braking. In an electric vehicle, the tires are always under some level of resistance, either from acceleration or adaptive braking. When you let off the gas, the deceleration is used to recharge the battery, so the tires always have scrubbing on their treads. Therefore, tires on an electric vehicle will probably wear out faster. The good news, though, is that as a buyer of a used electric vehicle, you can see the condition of the tires and determine how much tread is left. Just be aware that your maintenance cost for tires may be slightly higher than for a gasoline vehicle.

The moral of the story is this: on an electric vehicle, the mileage on the odometer is much less of a factor in the value and usability of that vehicle than it would be on a gasoline engine. Just make sure that the key component—the battery—is in good shape, and you'll be in good shape yourself.