Why America’s Best-Selling Used Cars Are Electric
The Prius has always been the go-to car when someone mentions hybrid and electric vehicles. The Toyota Prius Plug-in is one of the most popular in the used-car market for electric vehicles. They’re known for their reliability, practicality, and great gas mileage. But they are not the only electric cars that have been and should be getting people’s attention.
Pure Electric
Worry for the environment has grown as more scientific data has shown that the Earth is headed in a dangerous direction. Car makers are doing their part by creating hybrid and now even pure electric vehicles to cut down on emissions and that pesky carbon footprint. In the beginning, that eco-friendly change was detrimental to other attributes of the vehicles, like style and speed. Now, those things are not as much of a concern as updates in technology and engineering have been able to create fast, attractive, and efficient vehicles.
The Nissan Leaf is gaining a growing following in the used car arena, lasting an average of only 24.3 days on the secondhand market. Not only is it a pure electric vehicle, it’s also affordable. It’s a great car for commuting and plain driving around for fun with its 84-mile range. On the more expensive side, there is the Tesla Model S. They have a range of 160 miles for the standard sedan and are worth the extra expense for their speed, luxury, and attractive appearance. On average, they last only 26.1 days on the used-car market.
Price
While the cost of used cars has been increasing since 2015, electric vehicles have actually been showing the opposite trend. After three years, some are even down to just over 20 percent of their original sticker price. This is an amazing deal for those in the market for affordable and eco-friendly cars.
The three full-electric cars with the best deals are the Nissan Leaf, mentioned above, the Ford Focus Electric — with an average of 40 days on the secondhand market — and the Smart Fortwo electric drive. For 2013 models with around 22,000 miles, some of these cars are going for as low as $10,000.
Rising Gas Prices
Even if environmental issues aren’t a main concern, rising gas prices may be. With even the possibility that gas may reach that four dollar a gallon mark again, an electric vehicle is very appealing for the gas conscious driver.
The Nissan Leaf fully charged has the ability to run, on average, for 84 miles, which is equivalent to 114 mpg for city/highway driving. So the money saved on gas can be a huge factor in the appeal of electric vehicles.
While the automobiles mentioned above come from a range of brands and prices, buying used can save you an arm and a leg, as well as helping the environment. There’s no reason not to drive green with so many models of eco-friendly cars in the used-car market, and people are realizing it.
