What’s the cheapest EV in Australia with a minimum 120 km range?

Dear Bryce, I am again on the lookout for a second-hand EV, the smaller and cheaper the better. Maximum range I anticipate is 120 km, and that assumes a return trip from Healesville where I live to the city, which is immensely unlikely.

🙂 Dr Bob Rich

Hi Bob – a great question, and an interesting area to explore since my recent article on the state of second-hand EV prices.

As a general guide, I maintain a summary list of all the official/manufacturer imported second-hand BEV models in Australia at aeva.asn/fact-sheets. In addition to that summary page, there are individual model Fact Sheets that include known issues (if any) and tips on how to assess a potential second-hand BEV purchase.

As for EVs that meet that specification: to be honest, there is a dearth of cheap 120 km driving range EVs. The very oldest (and cheapest) EVs here are the 2011-12 ZE0 Nissan Leaf and 2010-13 Mitsubishi iMiEV.

Both can be bought for comfortably under $10k … but neither are likely to have anywhere that amount of range left. (Or, if they have had their battery replaced/upgraded, the seller will be expecting closer to $17k-$20k).

To give you an example, my run-around second-car is a 2010 Mitsubishi iMiEV, still with its original battery. However, it has a reliable range of only 70 km. Not bad considering it was 110 km when new 16 years ago, but doesn’t meet your 120 km specification.

Next step up would be a private import AZE0 2014-2017 Nissan Leaf from Japan ($10-$15k). Nissan officially stopped bringing the ZE0 Leaf in 2013, but many have been brought in since by private importers after being sourced from the Japanese second-hand market.

They have the later Leaf battery chemistry and so are less prone to battery degradation … but not entirely. As a result, although an AZE0 might currently just meet a ‘reliable 120 km’ specification for range, the next few years will likely see it drop back to an ‘unreliable 120km’.

You could also maybe find a later (2017) AZE0 leaf with the 30 kWh battery (with perhaps 170 km range) for the top end price of an AZE0 – with the proviso that the Japanese market AZE0 Leaf does have certain issues, including incorporating some features and parts that were never included in Australian delivered ones from Nissan Australia. (Like the 30 kWh battery).

This makes sourcing some parts harder …. plus many Nissan dealers won’t work on them. This means you would have to go to a private BEV trained mechanic to get work done, which can be tricky depending on where you live: currently there is a shortage of EV trained mechanics outside of the dealer system.

By the way, I have yet to mention one early BEV: and it’s my ‘pick of the bunch’ for a solid 120 km range too. This is the original BMW i3 (60Ah version, built between 2013 and 2016). They have kept their range well and are a highly innovative design. However, they go for something like $17k upwards – which leads you into a dilemma.

For that money you are stepping into the modern EV era. BEVs from 2018 onwards are comparable in technology, battery and features to many on the market now and, like all the rest of the second-hand car market, have depreciated nicely for what are now up to 8-year-old cars.

(Although not from an Early Adopter purchaser’s perspective: they paid through the nose for cars that are now priced in the second-hand market against much cheaper new competition, so these cars have fallen a lot in value recently as the mass-market roll-out of the BEV has hit its straps.)

Anyway – that’s my long-winded way of saying perhaps it is worth your avoiding the lure of ultra-cheap EVs as, in your case, they don’t meet your range requirements (although for people happy with 50-100 km ranges, they can be good buying).

My suggestion is to up your budget to $18-$20k as there are a number of good second-hand ‘modern era’ BEVs in that price range. (Especially if you are comfortable with the idea of buying at one of the major vehicle auction houses such as Manheim’s or Pickles).

My top pick from this category of BEVs would be either a 28 kWh or 38 kWh battery Hyundai Ioniq. They should have a reliable 200 or 280 km range left, so well in excess of your 120 km spec. There are lots of ex-lease ones going through these auction houses at the moment too. You should get one for $18k-ish on the right day.

Next off the line would be an early (2020/1) MG ZS EV. They start at around $19k in the general market (less at auction – there are a few popping up there as ex-lease as well).

Not a bad EV by all accounts, but for the same money, perhaps not as good as the Ioniq. Horses for courses though – the Ioniq is a sedan with a small-ish boot lid, the ZS is a higher riding hatchback/SUV, so depends on what body style and boot access you need.

A dark-horse would by the way be the 2017-2019 Renault Zoe. Not many of these ever arrived in Australia, but they still hold a reliable 280-300 km range – which is what they landed with. Zoe’s sell for around $20k on the general market. (Even less at auction as they are not a sought-after brand). My partner has had one since new and she loves it!

There is also the option of the current model ZE1 Leaf. You can pick up an earlier year one at auction for comfortably under $20k. Again, make sure you check it is an Australian or Japanese second-hand market model as, amongst other things, the 40 kWh Japanese version has a slower built-in charger than the Australian delivered version.

It is also worth pointing out here that Pickles provide vehicle battery state-of-health (SoH) reports for many of the BEVs they auction. These can be very useful in giving a guide to how much (or in reality, little) range the battery has lost since new.

Also, if considering a private or dealer BEV purchase – don’t forget that SoH reports can be done as part of a pre-purchase inspection report to provide peace-of-mind regarding battery longevity.

Hope that helps Bob?

Cheers

Bryce