First generation Nissan Leaf.
As electric vehicle adoption increases and prices of new electric vehicles continue to drop, the second-hand EV market is expanding, with more choices opening up at the lower end of the market.
Rewind the clock to just a few years ago and the only options for second-hand EVs under $30,000 were the first generation Nissan Leaf or a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, which are both over 10 years old now. Since then, prices for these first generation EVs have dropped below $10,000 with one currently listed for just $6,000.
Until more EVs are certified, the Nissan Leaf remains one of the rare vehicles that is already capable of vehicle to home (V2H) and vehicle to grid (V2G), so a 2013 or newer Leaf could be a cheap way to install large amounts of battery storage provided you don’t mind the obsolete CHAdeMO charge port.
Unless you count the recently launched BYD Dolphin Essential which starts from $29,990 before on-road costs, an upper limit of $30,000 means a second-hand electric vehicle is your only option at the moment. There are no new EVs available below $30,000, although it might not be so far away.
The good news is that an increase in cheaper EV models like the Dolphin means that more than 10 different second-hand models can now be reliably found under the $30,000 price point. These include the original Hyundai Ioniq hatchback and small SUVs like the Hyundai Kona and MG ZS EV.
Newer models such as the GWM Ora and MG MG4 are also starting to appear in this price range, potentially saving thousands compared with a brand new car. Even more affordable new EVs launching this year will continue to put downward pressure on second-hand prices, expanding the options even further.
Early 2019 Tesla Model 3s are usually listed for more than $30,000, but we reported in August 2024 on 2 listings below $30,000. While researching this article, I also saw a 2014 Tesla Model S 60 kWh in South Australia listed for $29,999, although it has since disappeared.
When it comes to buying a used electric vehicle, the same advice for buying any second-hand vehicle applies. Check the general condition of the car for wear and tear, take it for a test drive, check the service history, VIN and registration and get a professional inspection if you are not comfortable making an accurate assessment by yourself.
Battery state of health is the biggest unknown, although research shows that electric vehicle batteries are lasting longer than expected in real world conditions, so this is probably not a major concern unless the car in question has very high mileage or has run out of manufacturer warranty.
If you prefer to go the DIY route, an OBD2 reader paired with an app such as Car Scanner or LeafSpy (for Nissan Leaf specifically), can give you more information about the battery condition. I noticed listings from some dealers are including a diagnostic screenshot showing the battery state of health from one of these apps.
For more information on buying a used EV, see our previous Explainer: The checks you need to do when buying a second-hand electric vehicle.
Data in this section has been obtained from second-hand electric vehicle listings across the major used car sites including Carsales and Autotrader. It is a snapshot of the market taken at the time of writing, with prices and second-hand model availability constantly changing.
When looking at used electric vehicles, the second-hand BEV fact sheets from the Australian Electric Vehicle Association (AEVA) are a valuable resource full of useful information including specific things to look out for in each of the models listed below.
Model years: 2019 – 2021
Price range: $19,500 – $30,000
The original Hyundai Ioniq Electric first launched in Australia at the end of 2018, with a starting price between $45,000 and $49,000 depending on the variant. It was reasonably popular at the time given it was the cheapest EV on sale and the first one below $50,000.
2019 model years came equipped with a 28 kWh battery offering up to 230 km WLTP driving range when new, which was subsequently boosted to 274 km in 2020 models with a larger 38 kWh battery pack.
Plenty of Hyundai Ioniqs are available second hand, with prices just dipping below $20,000 for older or higher mileage examples. The Ioniq remains one of the most efficient electric vehicles due to its relatively light 1475 kg kerb mass, making it an ideal commuter car that would be very cheap to run.
Model years: 2020 – 2023
Price range: $18,500 – $30,000
A brand new MG ZS EV Essence is currently on sale for $36,990 driveaway, although used examples from 2020 onwards can be found from as low as $18,500, with plenty available in the low $20,000 range.
2020 – 2021 models came with a WLTP range of 263 km from their 45 kWh battery pack, which was upped to 320 km and 51 kWh from 2022 onwards, making it a more suitable car for road trips or owners without the ability to charge at home.
Model years: 2019 – 2021
Price range: $25,000 – $30,000
The original Hyundai Kona EV first launched in 2019 and came equipped with a 64 kWh battery, giving it the longest range by far in this group of used electric vehicles, up to 484 km WLTP. This makes the Kona EV well suited to someone who likes to travel long distances or wants to take their EV on road trips.
Model years between 2019 and 2021 can be found in the $25,000 – $30,000 price range, representing good value for money if you are looking for a used electric vehicle with long driving range. Some Kona EVs were subject to a battery recall, so double check with the seller if this has been completed already.
Model years: 2023
Price range: $25,000 – $30,000
GWM Ora is currently one of the most affordable new EVs, with standard range variants selling for just $33,900 driveaway. Some dealers are selling used demonstrator Oras with only a few hundred km on the odometer for less than $28,000.
Model years: 2012 – 2017
Price range: $6,000 – $17,500
The first generation, or ZE0, Nissan Leaf was only available through Nissan in 2011 and 2012, with newer model years being private imports. Battery health is the biggest issue to look out for in older Leafs, as the battery packs are passively cooled and original batteries used a chemistry that was more susceptible to degradation.
However, due to the number of older Leafs around and specialty workshops experienced in fixing or replacing Leaf battery packs, it should be reasonably easy to fix any battery issues if they do occur.
Driving range in the first generation Leaf when new was around 120 km, so older examples with some battery degradation will likely travel less than 100 km from a full charge. Therefore, an older Leaf would mainly be suitable for shorter commutes or running errands around town.
As mentioned above, the Nissan Leaf is V2H/V2G capable for cars built in 2013 onwards. If you can source the right bi-directional charger and don’t mind the obsolete CHAdeMO charging socket on the car, this could be a cheap way to add large amounts of battery storage to your home or business.
Model years: 2018 – 2023, 2019 – 2021 e+
Price range: $16,000 – $30,000
Second generation, or ZE1, Nissan Leaf is one of the most widely available second-hand EVs under $30,000 with quite a few examples between $16,000 and $20,000. Like the first generation, there is still no liquid cooling for the battery pack, so battery degradation is more of a concern than with other models although the chemistry improved significantly.
Leaf variants with the smaller 40 kWh battery pack offer up to 270 km WLTP driving range, while the Leaf e+ comes with a more powerful motor and 62 kWh battery pack providing up to 385 km range. Larger battery packs in these newer Leafs would also provide more room for energy storage if taking advantage of V2H/V2G functionality.
Model years: 2014 – 2017
Price range: $22,000 – $30,000
If you are looking for something a bit quirky and unique, a used BMW i3 can be found from $22,000 and up, which is a big drop from their circa $70,000 price tag when new. Examples under $30,000 come with either the 60 Ah (22 kWh) or 94 Ah (33 kWh) battery but not the larger 120 Ah (42 kWh) pack that was introduced in 2019.
BMW i3 manufactured before 2018, including all of the examples I found below $30,000, come fitted with a Type 1 AC charge port, so this is worth keeping in mind for compatibility with Type 2 AC charging equipment that is standard nowadays. A Type 1 to Type 2 adapter can be used if necessary.
Model years: 2012
Price range: ~$8,000
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV was never as popular as the Nissan Leaf, but a couple of 2012 models are currently listed for around $8,000. Similar to the Leaf, driving range on the i-MiEV will likely be around 100 km these days, so they are best suited for short commutes or running errands.
If you are willing to invest money in an old i-MiEV to boost the range, Brisbane based company Oz Electric Vehicles will replace the old 16 kWh battery pack with a new 30 kWh one, doubling the original range to around 250 km. They can also upgrade the car with cruise control and full one pedal driving modes.
Some of the other second-hand EV models that can be found under $30,000 include the Mini Cooper electric, with a few of them listed between $25,000 – $30,000. The Mazda MX-30 was not a very popular EV when it was available, but they are starting to show up in small numbers for around $28,000.
Both the Mini Cooper and Mazda MX-30 are fitted with relatively small battery packs compared to newer EVs, giving them a shorter WLTP driving range of roughly 200 km.
Choices are limited when it comes to small electric vans under $30,000. The Nissan e-NV200 borrowed the electric motor and battery cells from the Nissan Leaf, but the battery pack was positioned differently to maximise cargo space as well as improve rigidity compared with the petrol powered Nissan NV200 van.
Nissan never sold the e-NV200 new in Australia, so the limited number of second-hand vans were all private imports. They are still fetching reasonably high prices, with 2014 and 2015 models ranging from $24,000 to $26,000.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV MiniCab is slightly cheaper and smaller than the Nissan e-NV200, with prices around $15,000. Similar to the e-NV200 and Leaf, the i-MiEV MiniCab is based on the regular i-MiEV and shares the same battery pack and drivetrain specifications.
Tim has 20 years experience in the IT industry including 14 years as a network engineer and site reliability engineer at Google Australia. He is an EV and renewable energy enthusiast who is most passionate about helping people understand and adopt these technologies.
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Well done on writing a "How To" for all the whingers here who constantly complain about the "big SUVs" and "when are we going yo get small, affordable EVs?", and "Not another huge EV!" and on and on and on.....
Fer god sake, fellas, take your little bag of pennies and buy one of these cars and leave the rest of us in peace. Thanks! 🙄