10-15 years ago, every electric car was perceived almost as a spaceship due to the complexity of its technology! But today they have turned into ordinary transport that can be purchased for $ 5-7 thousand. Moreover, having paid this money once, you can significantly save on operation in the future due to the absence of expenses for purchasing fuel. Of course, if you charge at home and avoid expensive fast charging. Of course, if you can manage a real mileage of 80-100-120 km on one full battery charge. Of course, if you are lucky enough to find a good copy on the market. By the way: what does the market offer for this money?
Nissan Leaf
Any review of mass-produced electric cars should start with the well-known first-generation Nissan Leaf . There were a lot of such C-class hatchbacks. Accordingly, there is a large selection on the used car market - for example, according to the selected criteria (price up to $7 thousand, year of manufacture from 2010, city of Kyiv, declared as accident-free), the Nissan Leaf electric car accounts for about 80 copies out of the selected 120 variants - that is, 2/3 of the total number of offers!
Nissan Leaf
Moreover, the cheapest Nissan Leaf variants generally cost about $4.5 thousand, but these will be electric cars with a 24 kWh battery , in simple trim levels, and also quite old – around 2011-2013 years of release. However, in the range of $5-7 thousand, you can find options with better trim levels (leather interior, alloy wheels, LED headlights), an enlarged battery (30 kWh ), as well as models from 2014-2015 years of release. The declared mileage of used Nissan Leaf electric cars ranges from 100-140 thousand km at least and up to 250-270 thousand km at most.
If you add to the wide selection of electric cars and a wide range of prices the abundance of spare parts, as well as the availability of specialized service stations and experienced mechanics, then the Nissan Leaf looks like the most rational purchase. This is a real people's electric car!
Renault Zoe
Next on our list is the Renault Zoe electric car – it is also a practical 5-door hatchback, but a smaller B-class. In addition, the Renault Zoe electric car could not boast of engine power (about 90 hp, depending on the specific version), but it could boast of fast charging and a pleasant good-natured design.
Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe was quite popular on the European market , but there are not many of them in Ukraine: for example, there are about a dozen electric cars according to the selected criteria. Moreover, there are no frankly cheap options: the price of the Renault Zoe only starts at $6 thousand and then easily reaches $7 thousand. However, completely different electric cars fit into this range: with a battery capacity of 22-40 kW ⋅ h, with a mileage of 100-120 and up to 300+ thousand km, released in 2013-2015.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Citroen C-Zero , Peugeot iOn
And here is an example of a combination of Japanese and European electric cars, as many as three models! Although in fact there is only one: from the beginning there was an electric car Mitsubishi i - MiEV , which later, due to partnerships between the companies, was also produced in the form of Citroen C - Zero and Peugeot iOn . If we take each of these electric cars separately, they are presented in our selection only in limited quantities; however, if we take them together, there are already about a dozen.
Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Citroen C-Zero, Peugeot iOn
So what is it about? From the beginning, we are talking about a miniature hatchback Mitsubishi i - MiEV (something like a Japanese kei car or A-class according to the usual classification), then we add a 16 kWh battery and a somewhat unexpected rear-wheel drive, plus converter units for charging and powering the electric motor.
Once this set cost a lot of money, but now electric cars Mitsubishi i - MiEV , Citroen C - Zero , Peugeot iOn are sold in Ukraine for $4-5.5 thousand; and these will be copies with mileage of 80-100-140 thousand km and released in 2011-2014. That is, there is a chance to buy a small but quite affordable electric car with more or less adequate mileage.
Smart fortwo ED
The Smart fortwo ED or Smart fortwo Electric Drive electric car is even smaller: we only have a 2-seater interior and a 2.5-meter length. In addition, we have a small battery (17.6 kW ⋅ h) and rear-wheel drive. And also - potentially we have an open convertible body; however, finding such an option is oh so difficult. And in general, there are not very many Smart fortwo ED electric cars: according to the selection criteria described above, there are about a dozen options on the market.
Smart fortwo ED
However, the peculiarity of the Smart fortwo ED is not only in its mini-sized concept and stylish, but only 2-seater interior. Its peculiarity is that there are electric cars with mileage of 40-90 thousand km, and they are 2013-2014 years of release. How did it happen that the Smart fortwo ED drove only 4-5-10 thousand km in a year?!
I think this can be explained by two reasons. The first reason is well known – it could be the low mileage. However, the second one comes from the concept of using the Smart fortwo , which was originally designed as an ideal transport for the city. Accordingly, daily trains could indeed be very short. Therefore, it turns out that in the case of the Smart fortwo ED Electric Drive there are quite real chances of finding an electric car with minimal mileage and in the best possible technical condition.
FIAT 500e
The FIAT 500 e electric car tried to combine an attractive design and compact dimensions, while providing a cabin with front and rear seats (although in reality there is little space behind). Such a concept may interest someone even now, so it is worth considering the FIAT 500 e variant on the used electric car market - for example, there are 5-6 electric cars according to the criteria of this selection .
FIAT 500e
True, they are not cheap: the cost of the FIAT 500 e only starts at $ 6-6.5 thousand. Although for this money, electric cars with a mileage of 90-120 thousand km and 2013-2015 years of manufacture are offered. They all have a battery with a capacity of 24 kW ⋅ h and are usually quite good equipment: a leather interior with contrasting trim, a digital instrument panel, climate control; sometimes there is a panoramic roof.
And what other options might there be?
The choice is not limited to these five electric cars. For $5-7 thousand, you can find several KIA Soul EV electric cars , Ford Focus Electric and Renault Fluence ZE electric cars with a battery in the trunk, imitations of Volkswagen e - UP , Renault Kengoo ZE , Peugeot 106, Peugeot Partner ю…
If you expand the search area by region or several regions, the choice will be greater; if you expand the price range, the choice will also increase. I'm saying obvious things, right? But I'm here to the point that whoever wants it will find it! As you can see, even among electric cars, and even for $ 5-7 thousand, there may already be options.