Whether you’re considering an electric vehicle because of gas prices or climate change, there has probably never been a better time to buy a used EV, despite that the Trump administration abolished the used clean vehicle tax credit last year. When we started this ongoing series looking at used EV options, the initial idea was to see what was available at bargain-basement prices. But today we’re looking at the $20,000–$25,000 bracket, and we’re firmly out of the basement, with thousands of EVs across the country to choose from.
If you’re only spending $5,000 on an EV, you’re looking at much older models with smaller batteries that never had that much range even when new. But at four or five times that sum, the net casts much, much wider. Buyers can start being a little choosy here, particularly as ex-lease cars begin filling dealership lots this year.
For those in the market, it helps that EVs face lower residuals than equivalent hydrocarbon-powered cars. All those incentives given to the original purchaser are passed along to future owners, but according to a Deloitte report, EV residuals are underperforming even more than expected. While I might expect most Ars Technica readers to see the potential, “many US consumers remain cautious about range, charge time, price, battery replacement cost, and public charging access,” says Deloitte. Changing that will require automakers and car salespeople to do a much better job explaining battery longevity and range, according to the consulting company.
The above isn’t great if you’re trying to sell an EV, but it’s good news if you’re in the market to buy one. You’ll get more car for the same outlay—a better spec, newer model year, or fewer miles already on the odometer versus spending the same money on something that needs gasoline.
A new price cap of $25,000 also means you can afford to start being picky about which badge the car wears: Do you want something mainstream, maybe with lower mileage, or perhaps something plusher or more premium?
The mass market
Almost half of the 6,000-plus used EVs that showed up in a search priced between $20,000 and $25,000 were, unsurprisingly, Teslas. Mostly Models 3 and Y, with a mix of specs and mileages. The wide selection and Tesla’s Supercharger network will be enough for some; for others, the CEO’s political actions or the brand’s reputation for reliability and, increasingly, safety, are reasons enough to look elsewhere.
Electric Hyundais are probably the next most common. We found lots of Ioniq 5s up to model-year 2024, so no cars with native NACS ports or a rear windscreen wiper. But there were also plenty of Konas and also Ioniq 6s, the curvy sedan with a whale tail. Despite what the Internet says about sedans, people who buy new cars don’t like them anymore, and Ioniq 6 sales were so disappointing that Hyundai won’t bother importing any more aside from the spicy Ioniq 6 N that’s due soon.
It’s a car that looks much better in person than in photographs and is smaller and more nimble than the hatchback Ioniq 5. As long as you’re not unduly scared of potential integrated charging control unit (ICCU) warranty problems, this could be a great option.
Most of the used Chevrolet Bolts are cheaper than this article’s $20,000 price floor, but you will find the more capacious Bolt EUV on offer. More likely, you’ll come across the Chevy Equinox EV with barely any mileage, or the larger Blazer EV. While there’s plenty to commend GM’s not-called-Ultium-anymore SUVs, we’re aware that the lack of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is a real deal-breaker for some. The good news for those people is that I also found quite a few Honda Prologues inside our budget. The Prologue shares the Blazer’s platform, with more restrained interior and exterior styling, plus it does include CarPlay and Android Auto. Basically a better Blazer, bar the overeager forward collision warning.
A colleague currently conducting their own search for a replacement EV tells me that the Ford Mustang Mach-E is one of the more reliable used EVs out there in our price range as long as you stick to model-year 2024. Inconveniently, most of the cars we found were model-year 2023 or older. Scattered around our results? The occasional E-Transit. With only 125 miles of range, it’s not a long-distance electric van, but for local deliveries—of brass instruments perhaps?—you’d be hard pressed to do wrong.
Want something small? The Mini Cooper fits the bill, as do the few Fiat 500s looking for a new owner.
Or just stick with an OEM you already trust. Like Nissans? There’s plenty of Ariyas and some second-generation Leafs, the ones with the bigger batteries. There are fewer used Kias available than their Hyundai cousins: The EV6 suffers the same ICCU concern as the Ioniq 5 but also boasts the same benefits, like very fast DC charging and rather good range efficiency; meanwhile, I can’t think of a reason not to like the Niro. Toyota fans can trust the bZ4x, and Subaru offers the near-identical Solterra, and there are hundreds of used VW ID.4s for sale right now as well.
Ooh, fancy
Twenty-five thousand or less will put you behind the wheel of an all-electric Audi. I expected these to all be the original e-tron, but in fact, it’s a mix of older e-trons and newer Q4s (which share a platform with the VW ID.4). Were I looking, I’d probably go for the e-tron rather than the Q4 thanks to the bigger car’s nicer interior and more refined road manners, even if it is less efficient.
I was more surprised by the lack of BMWs for sale in our price range—just a handful of BMW i4 sedans. These are the least-powerful rear-wheel-drive models, which also happen to be the sweetest-driving versions. I’m told the i4’s reliability stands out among used EVs, too. Even with very few i4s available, sedan lovers still have the Polestar 2, and these don’t appear to be leggy ex-rental cars, either. If you’re definitely looking for an SUV, there’s the Mercedes-Benz EQB or Volvo XC40, unless you feel like being very brave (or daft) by buying a used Fisker Ocean, Vinfast VF8, or Jaguar I-Pace. (Go on, life’s short enough.)
