When it comes to obstacles keeping electric cars from the mainstream,range anxiety and charging infrastructure are usually the first things people think of. But cost remains a key barrier to mass EV adoption. Even the cheapest new electric cars these days, after all, start at close to $40,000 — and many of the best ones are far more.
Granted, a $7,500 federal tax credit helps — at least, for vehicles still eligible for such things, which start to phase out after a carmaker sells 200,000 EVs. Even so, though, affordable EVs like the Hyundai Kona Electric are still dramatically more expensive than combustion alternatives.
Now, EV prices should drop over the next decade (maybe by a lot). But if that new Kim Stanley Robinson novel spooked you and you’re looking to ditch internal combustion ASAP, a used EV could be a cost-effective option.
Admittedly, these affordable early-to-mid 2010s EVs offer far less range than many new ones — less than 100 miles per charge, according to the EPA (and that was when their batteries were new). But let’s face it, you probably drive much less than you think you do — or at least could swing one of these as one part of a two-car household. If you have access to a home charger, a used EV could work out nicely.
Here are five used EVs you can find for relatively little money.
BMW i3 (2014–2017)
BMWBMW launched the i3 in 2014, and won a flurry of design awards. The car looks eccentric today, however; it’s very much 2014’s vision of the future.
