How about turning over an old leaf instead?
The first-generation Nissan Leaf was a best-selling early EV, so it’s no surprise that it’s the most common EV you’ll find under our budget. Initially the range of the car was not that much, its battery capacity at the time of launch was only 24 kWh. And Nissan’s decision not to liquid-cool the battery pack means this EV battery will degrade more over time than virtually any other modern EV. Essentially, the first and second generation Leafs are responsible for the general mistrust about EV battery longevity.
Used Leafs can be purchased for less than $2,000, but below a certain point, it becomes economical to disassemble them for spare parts, especially battery packs, which may have a second life as stationary storage. But what if you don’t want the leaf?
Well, there’s the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which will always hold a place in my heart because it was the first car I tested for Ars Technica. I will always remember how quickly its skinny front tires succumbed to understeer at highway interchanges. Its one-box pod-on-wheels design still looks different from almost anything else on the American road, and it’s very compact for urban life. But when new its battery pack was only 16 kWhAnd it’s definitely less than that now, so it helps if you live in a compact city..
Other options lean more toward compliance cars, like the Chevrolet Spark EV or the Fiat 500e. Some Volkswagen e-Golfs and electric Ford Focus may also appear in this price range, and I’m also seeing some Kia Soul EVs and even a pair of very cheap BMW i3s within the budget. And I like i3.
However, something to consider is how wide one wants to cast one’s net. Sites like AutoTrader will happily let me search for cars all over the country, but can I drive an i3 home from Florida or Texas to DC? An e-Golf from California? At this price point, charging will be at best Level 2, and stops will need to be more frequent than the “every 50 miles” we were shooting for under the Biden-era NEVI plan. While buying very cheap EVs from a distance and seeing which one gets closest to home would undoubtedly make for an entertaining video series, in the real world, long distance purchases will probably have to take into account the cost of shipping the car.
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