I’m in the process of narrowing down the used EVs I want to look at.
I just got a rude, but entirely logical, surprise. It turns out that a lot of the late-model used EVs for sale in this area are salt-belt refugees. That is, they were sold new in northern states, where they salt the roads heavily all winter long. But were shipped south for re-sale as used vehicles.
The story.
Based on the ratings of car dealers on-line, I’ve focused on a couple of independent used car dealers in my area. (FWIW, Kingstowne and Eastern’s Sterling). I think maybe the phrase in italics is key, because these aren’t new-car dealers accepting trade-ins. These are used-car dealers.
As I was doing my on-line due diligence, seeing what I can see about these cars by VIN, I happened to notice that one car I’m interested in — a 2021 low-mileage Bolt — was originally sold in Michigan.
Hmm. Funny that this car ended up in Virginia. But people move, and so on. And yet …
I tracked down the original state of sale for the other two I’m focused on — 2020 and later, relatively low mileage. Those were originally sold in Upstate New York, and Vermont.
One salt-belt car might be by chance. But every car I’m looking at? Highly unlikely that’s a coincidence.
I can guess what’s driving this.
EVs lose a lot of range in cold weather. That’s a fact. None of these cars has an efficient (heat-pump) heating system. Also a fact.
I have to guess that:
- You have a lot more dissatisfied owners in cold-climate states.
- You get a much better resale price on these vehicles, in warm-climate states.
- So there’s a steady trade in shipping used EVs south for resale.
The issue isn’t that these were driven in the cold. The battery management systems on these cars will all prevent the owners from damaging the batteries permanently by (e.g.) charging when the batteries are below 32F.
The issue is that all of these cars are salt-belt refugees. That is, they were driven in the states where roads are heavily salted, for a significant fraction of the year.
After a few months of watching YouTube auto mechanics in salt-belt states (Watch Wes Work, from Illinois, and South Main Auto Channel, from upstate New York), one thing that comes through loud and clear is that salt is incredibly destructive. Among the things I learned from those videos is the term “rust jacking”, which is when the accumulation of rust literally bends and breaks metal parts of the car. Never seen that around here, and I’ve owned a lot of crappy old cars.
And so, once again, I need to stop and cool my jets, as I give this a re-think. And look at what’s available as a used vehicle, from local new-car dealers.
