What – If Any – Used EV Ought to I Purchase?

I’m a kind of retirement-age of us who took up pickleball as a part of my second childhood. Inside two years I had wrenched my knee, and now I’m immersed in at the least a few years of recuperation as a consequence of surgical procedure and subsequent issues.

Driving my co-owned Tesla Mannequin Y throughout this time interval in FL hasn’t been an issue — the peak makes it passable to enter, and I largely feather the pedal and let regenerative braking sluggish the automobile. However, after I traveled north to my rural summer season trip dwelling and took a spin in my different automotive, a 2013 Honda Si, my knee instantly began screaming.

It was going to be an extended summer season the place driving was involved.

I had critical selections to make. Would I maintain the Si — with its pleasant 6-speed and my agony when crouching right down to get into the automobile after which braking and shifting — or would I commerce it in for a used electrical automobile of some type? I’ve gone totally electrical in my everlasting Florida way of life and have been having qualms about persevering with to drive an inner combustion engine (ICE) automobile within the north.

However as a result of my summer season jaunt to the cabin (within the woods, on a brook, adjoining to a state forest) lasts at most about 12 weeks, it wouldn’t make sense to take a position an excessive amount of in one other automobile.

What had been my choices?

Weighing the Professionals & Cons

I made a decision it could be silly to proceed to drive in ache, so it was time to commerce within the Si. That meant I might select a used EV, amongst a number of choices. I dominated out a Hyundai EV or Kia EV pretty instantly, as they exceeded my value ceiling, which additionally possible meant no federal used EV tax credit score.

{Photograph} by Carolyn Fortuna/ CleanTechnica

Nissan Leaf: There proceed to be a lot of low priced/ low mileage used Leafs out there. Whereas the Leaf’s value and mileage had been interesting qualities, a used Leaf’s vary tops out at about 80 miles. I’ve owned a Leaf earlier than and cherished it as a primer into the EV world, however I used it solely for brief commutes. I’d be spending lots of time through the upcoming summer season caught at public chargers if I went with a Leaf, as I’ve received a number of longer street journeys deliberate.

BMW i3: I knew this was a pleasant automobile from experiencing it firsthand on the World EV Highway Journey to the Center East. I additionally remembered how our whole caravan of EVs needed to wait a lot of instances so the i3 might recharge due to its low battery vary of round 75 miles. Proudly owning an i3 would imply I’d have a pointy automobile within the 12 months, but it could have too many commonalities with the Leaf to make it a viable selection.

Picture credit score: World EVRT

Chevy Volt: The plug-in hybrid Volt had lots of enchantment as a consequence of its twin engines. I might get about 50 miles on a full cost. The ICE would choose up the slack between charging classes. Having 2 motors might add eventual restore prices over the lifetime of the automobile, although. Stock for a low mileage Volt was additionally low, so I’d have to decide on the next mileage Volt or put money into a more moderen mannequin 12 months. I wasn’t positive the fee/ profit ratio can be value it.

Chevy Bolt: The Bolt had quite a bit going for it. It might be totally electrical, so my fossil gasoline guilt would vanish. With a again hatch, it supplied the texture of a mini-SUV for baggage and presents for the household. It supplied practically 200 miles of vary on an 80% cost. I had pushed a Bolt on the World EV Highway journey and located it responsive. I even have mates that personal one and drive it forwards and backwards from Indiana to Florida. The regenerative braking and equipment within the LT choice wouldn’t come near matching the Mannequin Y, and the worth can be a bit of greater than I wished to spend. Anyway, there weren’t too many Bolts to select from on-line.

Picture by Carolyn Fortuna / CleanTechnica

What Used EV Did I Select?

Sticking with the Si, as a lot as I had cherished driving this automotive on my hour-long commute throughout my secondary schooling profession, wasn’t bodily potential any longer — I felt like I had a cannonball in my knee after I drove it. Whereas I had actually preferred the Leaf after I had as soon as owned one, I take too many lengthy street journeys after I’m in New England, and I wished to spend my trip time with household and mates dispersed throughout a number of states, not continually at a roadside charger. That very same rationale eradicated the i3 — plus there weren’t many out there on-line.

That left the two Chevy EVs — the Volt and the Bolt. I initially leaned towards the Volt, pondering that, whereas most day journeys would match its restricted vary, Marblehead (MA), Chatham (MA), Waitsfield (VT), Bedford (MA), and Newport (RI) had been all deliberate locations, so the fuel engine would kick in. It additionally appeared that each Volt I positioned on-line required further transport prices, as few had been out there within the basic CT neighborhood. Those who had been out there got here with excessive mileage — and that meant different homeowners’ deferred upkeep.

The Bolt had the popular vary, albeit with a barely greater price ticket. Many on-line postings had been irritating with their “buy in progress” tag, and I used to be beginning to really feel that I wouldn’t discover a Bolt that may meet all my desired standards. I noticed, even when I positioned one which match the invoice, I would wish to get written reassurance that the issue battery would have been changed and that the earlier proprietor had not already taken benefit of the $4000 federal used EV credit score.

I began getting discouraged.

As Alexander Pope mused poetically, “Hope springs everlasting.” I stored typing in several search prompts, with tenacity trumping ennui.

Voila! I discovered a 2017 Bolt at Scranton Motors in Rockville, CT — about 15 miles from my summer season digs. As I took the Bolt for a trip, I discovered that the dealership has had practically 20 Bolts on their lot this 12 months, all post-battery replacements, as a part of a push from company GM. I take a look at drove a cranberry LT with 17,000 miles, but it surely solely supplied a Stage 1 charger. Surveying the 6 different out there ones on the lot, I selected a 2017 blue Bolt with 26,000 miles. A perk was the Stage 3 charger, which might turn out to be useful on the anticipated longer street journeys.

I did a little bit of negotiating (I used to be a bit out of form since shopping for the Tesla for the FL dwelling) and ended up buying and selling within the Si as a part of the transaction.

With solely a fraction of the 12 months dedicated to driving this automobile within the household, I felt I had discovered the best stability of age, vary, value, colour, and equipment. Typically it takes a little bit of stubbornness mixed with resilience to search out what you need and wish in life.

Picture by Carolyn Fortuna/ CleanTechnica