Edit 1/21/2024: Between the time I wrote this, and January 2024, the price of used Chevy Bolts dropped so much that, in the end, I ended up buying a 2020 Chevy Bolt. See Post #1924 for the reasoning behind that.
I continue to stumble across important facts about used EVs.
In this case, it’s that the 2018 (and later) Leaf is vastly better than earlier models. That’s because Nissan finally scrapped its older, inferior battery chemistry that year.
Unsurprisingly, used Leaf prices seem to reflect that.
Old Leaf battery vs New Leaf battery.
Older Leafs seem to have a really horrendous rate of battery capacity loss, relative to other models. At least, Leafs appearing in used car ads do. I’ve been estimating range from “gas gauge” photos in older Leaf used car ads, then doing statistical analysis and comparing to other cars of the same generation. For example, the 2016 and earlier Leaf’s range losses, per year and mile, seem to be two to three times as much as (e.g.) Ford Focus Electric.
Turns out, Nissan scrapped their old battery chemistry for the 2018 model year. The battery chemistry refers mainly to the composition of the electrodes. The old one was lithium manganese oxide. Nissan was, as far as I can tell, the only manufacturer to opt for that. But starting in 2018, Nissan went to some variant of a more standard battery. It’s nickel-magnesium-cobalt. (Per this source).
That explains a couple of things. First, the KWH of the battery pack went from 30 KWH to 40 KWH, in roughly the same sized package. And, per internet comments, Nissan simply quit making the older 30 KWH packs. Which I now interpret as, quit making batteries with the older, less-stable and less energy-dense chemistry.
After looking at ads for a bunch of 2018s, it’s hard to find one with significant range loss. (Which is something of a miracle, given the substantial range loss on everything I looked at 2016 and earlier.)
Seems like the asking price around here, for a 2018 with ~40K miles, is around $15,500. That’s a net-of-tax-credit $11,500. For roughly, ah, maybe 140 miles of range. And a much slower rate of range loss, going forward. And, presumably, almost zero risk of getting one that has deteriorated to the point of being temperamental, and not performing well if stressed.
Meanwhile, I could have a new model with the same battery for about $28,500. That’s a net-of-tax-credit $21K.
Smaug’s lesser-known hoard of hard-to-find used car parts.
The used one benchmarks pretty well with (e.g.) a 2020/21 Bolt, with 245 miles of range left, for a net-of-tax-credit $17K. Per mile of range, the 2018 Leaf and 2020/21 Bolt cost about the same.
I think a 2018 Leaf at that price dominates the 2016 I have been looking at, currently offered at $6300 net of tax credit. I’d get more than twice the range, for an additional $5K in up-front cost. I’d get a car that is going to deteriorate at a much slower rate going forward. And I get a car that should, in theory, eliminate the possibility of buying a temperamental “lemon”, that is, a car that will fail under high power demand.
It’s still not as functional as a Bolt. That’s due to lower range, to the soon-to-be-obsolete CHAdeMO fast-charging port, and to the difficulty in fast-charging it in summer heat. OTOH, I just need a reliable grocery-getter, so none of those issues really matter to me.
Art in this post is from Gencraft.com and Freepik ai.
