I have lower income parents (retired and social security). One parent has a side job working 16 hrs a week. Their civic is on its last legs having been used for 18 yrs. I since got a model 3 long range so they have electric car fever. My parents are also eco conscious and their argument of ev’s actually pushed me to buy the model 3 vs 330i and Alfa Romeo. My dads argument about the environment and for the future generations won me over. They want a used EV. This EV will need to last them at least 10-15 yrs (is that possible?). Their budget is tight around 11-12k. The part time job is 34 miles round trip. They use my other car, a hybrid for longer trips so short range ev isn’t a bid deal. Now my worry is battery degradation for any used ev. I got my long range model 3 for this reason as I intend to keep it for quite some time. *Leaf 2016: this has passive cooling. We are in SoCal in the valley so it gets hot here in the summer, though not Texas summer hot but still 3 digit temps. I worry about battery health with the heat here in southern Cali. But I like how big the community is for leaf so there’s support out there if you have issues. And hopefully an aftermarket scene for battery in the future. Price is about 11-13k here for 2016 models sl & sv models. *spark ev-too: small, though I like the active cooling. Super low price, 8k is common. *fiat 500e: I love this car and i would seriously want to borrow this. But I’m seriously skeptical of fiat and their reliability and electrical issues (I was shopping an Alfa Romeo and that is all I heard about that is fiats reliability issues). Super low price, 8k is common, perhaps there’s a reason why resale is so poor. *kia soul 2015-2016: a little bit higher $$ then leaf. Has air cooled battery which is better than passive cooling on the leaf but not superior to liquid cooled. Kia has long warranty is a plus. Also the space looks good. Price is 12-13k. Smaller community online, less number of customers. *focus: seems rare I’ve never seen one and kinda high in price. Fiat and spark are too small imho and they aren’t a fan of the size though they love the 500e’s looks. We are stuck on the Leaf and the Kia soul. But of course there’s pros and cons of each. Any thoughts? We are gonna test drive this weekend.
I just went through this conundrum myself. I ended up with Spark EV because I believe it should be more reliable than the Fiat 500e. However, since that is pretty small -- passenger space is fine, but hatch a bit tight for any amount of stuff without putting the back seats down -- they would probably be happier with something a bit bigger. The one car not mentioned here, and which I think might be your best choice, is the VW eGolf. Here, for example, is a 2016 SE with 16K miles for $10,799. I didn't look too long, so there are probably better deals. Luckily, you're in California where the majority of them are available, so shipping may be avoidable.
e-golf is another passively cooled EV, so that might be a consideration as well. No reports of battery degradation to the extent we have heard from the LEAF, but the number in the field is much smaller and restricted to certain markets
Whoa! I had assumed it was a liquid-cooled pack. Interesting, then, that we haven't heard of any degradation problems.
For 34-mile neighborhood trips, pretty much anything you listed will work. DC charging is normally a big consideration, but it doesn't sound like a huge priority here. I wouldn't worry about degradation under these circumstances. The biggest stress on batteries isn't ambient heat, but being driven for long road trips during that heat, or DC fast charged during that heat. A neighborhood EV will last for a very, very long time without serious degradation. And even if it doesn't, a 2016 Leaf will still do the job after 50% (!) degradation. A few thoughts in no particular order: The Soul has upright seating, and it's very easy to enter and exit the vehicle. Because of this, it often ends up on lists of recommendations for retirees. The Spark is a very competent EV, but it's also small, which could be a problem. The e-Golf is slick, and it operates exactly like an ICEV, right down to the analog gauge cluster. It's often recommended to EV newcomers. If you're looking for something a little more upscale, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive can be found in SoCal for around your price range (might have to haggle). It's liquid cooled, with Tesla cells. No DC charging. Speaking of liquid cooling and Tesla cells, you can find the occasional RAV4 EV in that price range, too. As always, the important thing is to get out and try them. You can't judge a car on paper alone.
