Buying a Used EV: How to Check Battery Health

Buying a Used EV: How to Check Battery Health

Buying a used electric vehicle (EV) can be a great way to save money and reduce your carbon footprint. But there's one big question that every used EV buyer has: what about the battery? The battery is the most expensive component of an EV, and its health can have a big impact on the car's range and performance. In this guide, we'll show you how to check the battery health of a used EV to make sure you're getting a good deal.

What is Battery Degradation?

All batteries degrade over time, and EV batteries are no exception. Battery degradation is the gradual loss of a battery's ability to hold a charge. This means that as an EV gets older, its range will decrease.

How to Check Battery Health

There are a few different ways to check the battery health of a used EV:

1. The Guess-o-Meter

The "Guess-o-Meter" is the range estimate that is displayed on the car's dashboard. While this can be a good starting point, it's not a very accurate way to measure battery health. The Guess-o-Meter can be affected by a number of factors, including your driving style, the weather, and the terrain.

2. The "100% Charge" Test

A more accurate way to check battery health is to do the "100% charge" test.

1. Charge the car to 100%.
2. See what the Guess-o-Meter says.
3. Compare this to the car's original EPA-rated range.

This will give you a good idea of how much the battery has degraded. For example, if the car's original range was 250 miles and the Guess-o-Meter says 225 miles after a 100% charge, then the battery has degraded by about 10%.

3. A Third-Party App

There are a number of third-party apps that you can use to check the battery health of a used EV. These apps connect to the car's onboard diagnostics (OBD-II) port and provide a detailed report on the battery's health.

• Recurrent: Recurrent is a popular app that provides a detailed battery health report for a variety of different EV models.
• Leaf Spy: Leaf Spy is a popular app for checking the battery health of a Nissan Leaf.

4. A Pre-Purchase Inspection

The most accurate way to check the battery health of a used EV is to have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic. A mechanic will be able to perform a detailed diagnostic test on the battery and give you a comprehensive report on its health.

The Bottom Line

The battery is the most important component of an EV. By checking the battery health of a used EV, you can make sure you're getting a good deal and avoid any unpleasant surprises down the road.