What To Check For When Buying An Electric Car

By Author: Peter Clarck
Total Articles: 19
Comment this article

What to look for when buying a used electric car
Never purchase an electric car without seeing it personally. As with a conventional car, it is best to have it inspected by a professional before committing to a sale. Many used electric cars are second vehicles; hence they usually have low odometer readings. If the electric car is between 5 and 10 years old, you will probably be looking at 10,000-20,000 miles (16,000-32,000 km) on the odometer. But you will still want to know the car’s mileage and travel history. What has been its main purpose?

Ask a lot of questions. If the seller is not willing or is unable to provide answers to your questions, and does not want to follow up with you on the information at a later time, move on.

Conversion or factory made
Determine if the electric car is manufactured or converted. If it is the latter, ask if the job was done personally or professionally – whether the conversion was done by a reputable conversion company. In either case, personal or professional conversions alike, check carefully on the work quality and have an electric car professional of your ...
... choosing go over the quality before you commit to buying. For example, you will need to be sure that the components are properly placed and the cables correctly positioned, and that the batteries are mounted safely, conveniently and securely. Sloppy work indicates possible unseen problems later.

DIY converted cars are seldom sold; enquire as to why the owner is selling it.

Brakes
An electric car’s mechanical brakes are not used much due to regenerative braking. You may even find that an electric car of ten years still has its original brake shoes and pads. But underuse may cause sticking brakes, meaning that the wheel brakes are not released when the brake pedal is pressed and released. Besides prematurely wearing out the brakes, the car’s range and performance can be duly affected by this. The only way to be sure that the brakes are in good working order is to test drive the used electric car yourself.

Batteries
Another major issue is the condition of the batteries. You will find that many used electric cars use nickel metal hydride or lead acid battery packs. In a few cases you may find lithium-ion battery packs in used electric cars, as these are recent options for electric cars.

Replacing the batteries can be quite expensive. Lead acid batteries require replacement around 3 to 5 years. You can get longer durability with nickel metal hydride batteries, but these cost more when they are to be replaced. Ask the seller when the batteries were last checked or replaced and for any known problems related to the battery with the car.

Distilled water is used to top up some batteries regularly. Check if the task was performed accordingly; premature battery failure can result otherwise.

You may not be able to identify all battery issues just from test driving the car, but you can perform certain tests to confirm potential battery issues.

Motor
Whether the vehicle is used or new, an electric motor is required in an electric car. The two main categories of motors used are brushed and brushless motors. In a brushed motor electric car, ensure that the brushes have been checked and cleaned regularly and replaced when required. Brushes are the brushed motor’s lifeline, and they do wear out with use. Otherwise, only poor performance can be expected and the motor will be certain to fail. It is relatively inexpensive to replace the motor’s brushes; it is a good practice to check the brushes half yearly or according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Heating
Check the car’s heating and ensure its workability. While heating in a conventional car uses the engine’s wasted heat, the electric car has its heating system separate from its engine. Home conversion units tend to lack performance because of poor heating. Some use fuel heaters, which run using diesel, generating a lot of heat quickly. They are effective at producing heat, but are also costly and hard to repair when broken.

About Author:

Peter Clark is an energy and water management specialist guiding others to save energy and water. Check Solar365.com if you like to know more about electric cars.