Yahoo News Best Used EVs Under $25,000
If you are considering the purchase of an electric vehicle, good news: It's now possible to get an up-front federal rebate on an EV purchase instead of filing for a tax credit, and that's true of used EVs as well, which nets buyers 30 percent off the sale price (up to a max of $4000). Instead of waiting until tax time, customers can now knock this sum off the price of a used EV at the time of purchase.
To satisfy the rules, a used electric car must be:
Two model years older than the current calendar year
Priced below $25,000
A minimum battery capacity of 7.0 kWh
A gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds
No previous claim of the used EV tax credit.
Sold by a dealership, not a private seller
We used Car and Driver's own "What's My Car Worth"tool to determine the used values of the below vehicles, keeping the prices between $15,000 and $25,000 to max out the value of this government incentive. (Note that there are caveats that could result in a reduction or forfeiture of the used EV tax credit, so brush up on our tax credit guide before buying. )
To keep things simple, we used base-level models and assumed each had 40,000 miles on the odometer (the same amount of miles we put on our long-term test vehicles) to get a valuation. We also used the same 90210 area code for each valuation, using the sum presented as a "clean, private party sale" as the arbitrator of a given vehicle's value.
But wait, didn't you say that these vehicles need to be sold by a dealership to get the tax credit? Yes, but there is a workaround that many private sellers use to ensure buyers can still take advantage of the used EV tax credit.
Services such as KeySavvy manage the sale of private vehicles for a small fee (in KeySavvy's case the buyer and seller each pay $99). Since these services have dealer licenses, used EVs sold through them are eligible for the credit (provided the car itself meets the aforementioned qualifications).
2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
You can't get a new Bolt anymore (or, at least, you won't be able to once dealer stocks run dry), as the Michigan factory is converting to electric pickups. Chevy eventually will field a replacement for the Bolt, but likely not until at least 2025. The Bolt is a good choice as a used EV, though, and the larger EUV model is actually a pleasant car to drive. Considering the EUV in top Premier trim cost $38,495 back in 2022 (Chevy cut the price by $5000 for 2023), paying 25 grand is reasonable for a well-equipped two-year-old Bolt with between 6000 and 15,000 miles. Some may have Super Cruise, GM's highly accomplished hands-free highway-driving system. The one bad thing: Charging maxes out at 55 kW, which is only one-third the rate at which many new EVs' batteries can ingest electrons.
2018—2022 Tesla Model 3
More than half of all new EVs are Teslas, and now that the Model 3 has been out for more than six years, the used Tesla market is growing fast. Still, the undisputed champ for range, driving performance, and reliable and consistently high charging speeds, the Model 3 cannot be beaten for the price. Battery capacity and equipment changed on a near-quarterly basis with this car, so the mileage and model years vary wildly even at the same asking price. You may have to dig into the Tesla forums to determine the true specs. The good thing is that you don't have to spend 50 to 60 grand to get the same Tesla everyone's driving.
2012—2014 Tesla Model S Performance and P85
The Tesla Model S has tanked in value. This is the supersedan that early adopters eagerly bought for $100,000 new. Now, you can grab a higher-mileage example for the price of a Hyundai Sonata. And we're talking also talking about the fast versions. Specifically, the rear-wheel-drive 416-hp Performance and P85 trims (416 horsepower).
2019—2022 Hyundai Kona Electric
The first-gen Kona Electric rode more comfortably and accelerated more rapidly than the gas-powered Kona, but 37 grand was a steep ask for a subcompact hatch. Upon its debut, the Kona Electric boasted an EPA range of 258 miles, and we got 160 miles in our 75-mph highway range test (which was hampered by sub-freezing temperatures). This is a tiny SUV that can't fit big people in the back seat, yet it's fun to drive and easy to park.
2019—2021 Hyundai Ioniq Electric
Whereas the new Ioniq 5 is a cutting-edge EV with standout looks and a price tag that can reach $50,000, the first Ioniq Electric was something much different. It was an unexciting economy car that was sold in only 14 states. The Ioniq offered multiple alternative powertrains, and it served as a bridge between Hyundai's traditional gas cars and its now-growing Ioniq subbrand of EVs. The Ioniq Electric's 60-mph time of 8.6 seconds is nothing to write home about, but there are steering-wheel paddles to alter lift-off regen. With just over 120 miles of range, this Ioniq makes for a fine short-distance errand-runner.
2022 Mazda MX-30
No one wanted a $40,000 EV with 100 miles of range, so Mazda's MX-30 scurried back to Japan after just two model years. Despite what we described as "an artful interior, a stylish exterior, and responsive steering and handling," the market found Mazda's first EV to be small, slow, and pretty impractical for most drivers.
2019—2022 Nissan Leaf Plus
The Leaf was the first mass-market EV and has sold more than 650,000 units globally. Alas, the second-gen Leaf is unsexy and not very innovative with its technology or class-leading in its performance, but for a cheap set of reliable wheels with a factory warranty, it's tough to beat. Especially in Plus form, which netted the Leaf a bigger battery pack capable of taking it more than 200 miles on a full charge, per EPA estimates.
2018–2021 BMW i3
For a BMW that featured such exotic materials as eucalyptus wood and a carbon-fiber monocoque, the i3's resale value sank like lead. These cars were over 40 grand when new. Plenty are now available in the teens. To make the most of the battery-electric i3 (and the tax credit), we recommend looking for a 2018 or later model, which came standard with a 33.2-kWh battery pack. That pack was optional in 2017, so if you see an i3 94Ah of that vintage, then you may want to consider it, as well. With the bigger pack in place, the i3 was good for an EPA-rated range of more than 100 miles on a full charge.
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