Wallstcheatsheet.com:
1. Battery depletion is not a major issue
Electric vehicle naysayers like to warn of the dire risks electric vehicle owners face with respect to lithium-ion batteries and power depletion. There are are at least two reasons why battery depletion is not a major issue on the used EV market.
First, Nissan guarantees its batteries to eight years or 100,000 miles (whichever happens first), so the best-selling vehicle in the segment is safe at least until then. Second, a study on the premium Tesla Model S showed the battery pack held 94% of its power after 50,000 miles. Based on the evidence and automaker-backed warranties, major battery depletion in EVs is a myth.
2. Model S and i3 retain value
Kelley Blue Book’s annual “best resale value” lists are respected for the research and care that go into the studies, but neither the Tesla Model S nor the BMW i3 were among the top three plug-ins for the 2015 model year. (Two Porsche plug-ins and the Fusion Energi were.)
Now a full year after i3 hit the market, there are no available used models for less than the MSRP minus federal rebate. The same is true for the Model S, which showed one 60 kWh 2013 model available in Illinois for $70,000. With a base price of $71,070 and $10,000 in credits available in select states, used consumers don’t gain much of anything by choosing a secondhand Tesla.
Electric vehicle naysayers like to warn of the dire risks electric vehicle owners face with respect to lithium-ion batteries and power depletion. There are are at least two reasons why battery depletion is not a major issue on the used EV market.
First, Nissan guarantees its batteries to eight years or 100,000 miles (whichever happens first), so the best-selling vehicle in the segment is safe at least until then. Second, a study on the premium Tesla Model S showed the battery pack held 94% of its power after 50,000 miles. Based on the evidence and automaker-backed warranties, major battery depletion in EVs is a myth.
2. Model S and i3 retain value
Kelley Blue Book’s annual “best resale value” lists are respected for the research and care that go into the studies, but neither the Tesla Model S nor the BMW i3 were among the top three plug-ins for the 2015 model year. (Two Porsche plug-ins and the Fusion Energi were.)
Now a full year after i3 hit the market, there are no available used models for less than the MSRP minus federal rebate. The same is true for the Model S, which showed one 60 kWh 2013 model available in Illinois for $70,000. With a base price of $71,070 and $10,000 in credits available in select states, used consumers don’t gain much of anything by choosing a secondhand Tesla.
