Buy a used Nissan Leaf

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“What’s it like to buy and own a used electric car?” I asked Pat Finney in one of our recent meetings with EV owners. He is the proud owner of a 9-year-old Nissan Leaf that stood out in the parking lot. We met at a Cake & Coffee meeting at the Pelican Waters Powerboat Club a few weeks ago. He graciously accepted my request to share his story with CleanTechnica readers.

Having paid the going price of A$15,000 for it in 2023, he believes it would likely be worth around A$10,000 today, “if that.” He blames cheaper Chinese electric cars (with longer range and more technology) entering the Australian market (see latest stats here) for the decline in value. Old technology depreciates quickly. “The launch of $35,000-$40,000+ Chinese EVs has made the older LEAFs less valuable I think.”

A quick Google search tells us that a 2016 LEAF can be had for around AU$10,000-15,000, so Phil is right on the money. Of course, “prices vary based on trim level, condition, mileage, and battery health. For example, a base model might be around $10,000, while higher-end versions can be closer to $15,000 or more. 30-kilowatt-hour battery models can have issues, so checking the battery health report is crucial before purchasing.” Carsales.com lists 63 cars for sale, so there’s a lot Of options.

Anyway, enough of me – let’s hear Phil’s story in his own words:

Written by Pat Finney, as told to David Waterworth

“Why did I choose to go electric? I’d like to say it was environmental concerns, but it was more important than that. As I got older, I had trouble working on my cars, as arthritis and just getting older in general made it difficult to do anything major. And as a mechanic from the 1960s and 1970s, when I look under the hood of today’s car, I don’t know much. So, I figured if I got an electric car, I wouldn’t even be tempted to play On the violin. With her. The fact that I can fuel it for almost nothing with solar power at home may have had some influence on the decision. It was my chance to play with a new (to me) toy!

“I’ve had utes for about 50 years, but after coming to live in the city, I didn’t need one. In 3 years, I’ve only driven 2,000km, so I thought I’d sell up and get something a little smaller. I’ve been reading about electric vehicles for a number of years. In 2021, I’ve been watching with anticipation the build-up to the BYD Atto 3, which was supposed to be released Launching for under $40k, I thought it could be a good flagship car for us to replace similar sized turbo diesel SUVs. The Atto 3 was finally launched in 2022 at a price of $47,000, which was too expensive for us, so, since the only other EV alternative (in our price range) was the MG ZS EV, which we rejected due to the driving range, we By replacing our old SUVs with a new Chinese gasoline SUV. (So far, no regrets).

“In 2023, I was due to have heart surgery, so I again started looking at replacing the van with something smaller that I didn’t have to climb into, so I started looking at EVs again. Since my budget was limited to buying a used car, it was a bit of a back-and-forth between another ICE car of which there were a lot or a Mitsubishi i-MiEV (rare) or a Nissan LEAF (not Rare).”

“So, since the Leaf was the only car in my price range, I test-drove a couple and was absolutely amazed by the smoothness and power. I rejected two due to age or battery deterioration and bought a 2016 model with a 24 kWh battery with 77% battery life (SOH). It has 85,000 km on it. The Leaf displays SOH (state of health) on the dashboard in a series of bars, which is… Very useful. You can get a more accurate SOH reading using an inexpensive Wi-Fi or Bluetooth OBD dongle and a phone app.

“Due to the car’s limited range (probably around 120km), it has always been a car for driving only around the Sunshine Coast, (north of Brisbane in Queensland). It suits the role of a shopping cart and taxi nicely. And yes, because you really want to know, with the rear seats and passenger seat down, it will fit 2.4m lengths of 70mm wood wall studs x 35mm inside. (A) A TARDIS on wheels.)

“Friends were impressed by the quietness and spaciousness. I once stopped at an intersection and was asked if it stopped! Some people said they were considering an electric car for their next car, but I also had questions about what happens to batteries when they get old, which I can’t answer, but also statements from people who have never even driven an electric car, ‘Yes but they catch fire easily!’

“I charge at home using a large charger that only needs a regular 10A household power point. Since it only has a small battery, it doesn’t take long to deliver 20-30% of the charge. I only charge when the sun is shining to take advantage of the solar panels, and unless a cloud passes, it doesn’t use any power from the grid.

“It was and still is a great little car for local cruising, and it exceeded my expectations. But because I’m starting to find it difficult to get out of the seat at times, I’ll soon be looking for a used electric SUV in the near future, and since SUVs have higher seats, it should be easier to slide in and out of. There are a few starting to trickle into the market now, but they’re still holding their price. But whatever it is, It will definitely be an electric car, because I can’t see myself going back to an ICE car.

I asked about the pros and cons.

“Pros: Can be charged at home for little cost; looks like a rocket (not the explosive kind); very roomy; smooth and quiet; and brings a smile to my face.”

“Cons: Limited driving range, and…no, that’s it!”

Thanks for sharing, Phil. I would suggest you share EV Firesafe’s EV fire data with your skeptical friends and the many stories about reusing EV batteries. Here’s one example from an enterprising engineer in Brisbane.

With one in six new cars sold in Australia equipped with a plug, and company and government cars pending going off lease, there is sure to be a wide range of used electric cars available for value-conscious buyers like Phil in our bright, electric future.