I’ve found a 2023 leaf for some $10k, and with selling my ICE car, which is starting to cost more to maintain than it’s worth, it’ll realistically only cost me about $5k, maybe less. It’s got 33k miles on it, or about 10k/yr which is kinda high-average, but meh. The range in it is far enough to go all the places I’d realistically be going. (If not for making regular trips over 100 miles I’d get one of the ultra-cheap 2015 era EVs that can handle 60-80 miles…)
I probably want it even tho I’ve never test driven one. I’d obviously still do that but I think I kinda want it anyway. This one is located about 3 hours away, but it sounds like they may do inter-dealership trades up to this area, so maybe not a concern.
So what do I need to know? Can the tracking modem be disconnected? Do the batteries fail a lot? Does this model have a ton of quirks? Is it just cheap because people don’t want used EVs? Is this a horrible idea?
The problem isn’t charging at 50KWh or less. Is the maximum range. If you can drive 400 km with one charge you drive 2 or 3 hours, stop and recharge while eating something and using the bathroom and you have almost filled the battery again. But with 100 km or less you have to stop every hour at most. It’s like having a prostate problem.
In the US, road trips of 1,600km aren’t even half way across the country. Charge speeds make a big difference on getting to your destination in a single day.
But you have to stop every couple of hours anyway, if you want to drive safely, so not that much of a problem.