Cheap Used EVs
Last edited Sun Mar 22, 2026, 01:09 AM - Edit history (3)
With inflation getting worse with the war in Iran, people are needing relief. This goes double for those who have to drive everywhere and pay for their own fuel.
With the average price of fuel hitting $4 a gallon and the average new car prices around $50k (America loves SUVs), why not seek cheaper alternatives?
Used electric cars could make a huge impact. When I look at Car Gurus, I often see deals on gently-used, late model EVs. From the Chevy Bolt, to the Kia Niro EV, to the Honda Prologue, you can find prices on used examples for between $10k to $25k. Many of these have battery packs capable of 250 miles or more. With fewer fluid changes, longer intervals between brake jobs, and simple motor designs capable of lasting over 200k miles, it makes financial sense.
I’m currently eying a 2025 Prologue as my next car. Out of curiosity, are you looking at a used EV as your next car?
= new reply since forum marked as read
It's going to be a long time before the bottom 40 or 50% can afford High quality electric vehicles. If I buy a 15K 10 year old used EV what is my reward in 5 -10 years if I take VERY good care of it and want to resell it? I have a 35 year old ford pickup with 250k miles that I bought for 5k 20 years ago and could throw up for 25k because its in perfect, immaculate condition. We'll be burning gas vehicles for another 30-50 years MINIMUM. Even if gas is $10 a gallon, short term affordability will win out on long term economic/environmental sensibility every time. If you make 20 bucks an hour its a 5k dollar 5-10 year old Ford Escape or less all day. Disposable gas cars will be all the poor will be able to afford without MASSIVE public transportation infrastructure investments. And that will be VERY difficult in rural areas where most of the impoverished live. Hell, I think the expense of EV's out of the gate gave room for gas vehicle manufactures to jack new prices up to fill the gap. It's how they financed THEIR transition into the lucrative EV market (GM notoriously used the Cadillac, Ford the Lincoln, to open a space to move cheaper car prices up into back in the 50's and 60's)
Don't get me wrong I'm all for EV's (Hybrids make more sense over a 50 year transition) but until we address the economic feasibility of these expensive vehicles AND the infrastructure to support them, especially the recyclability and reuse of these very expensive batteries we're gonna be chasing our tails. EV's can run mechanically twice as long or more as a gas vehicle so the availability of cheap recycled batteries will go far in helping them along.
I think Hybrids should be the focus for the next 30-50 years, specifically hybrids that can use either or both gas and electric at the same time (if one breaks you have time to save up and get the other fixed). Cheaper smaller batteries and a focus on engineering much more fuel efficient strong gas engines (a 100-140 horsepower 40 mpg engine was fairly common for small cars in the 80's and 90's) working in combination as this HUGE nation transitions to an EV vehicle AND mass transit (in and between larger cities mainly) transportation infrastructure is the way to go. Environmentally even with EV's (and exponentially more of them) we're still burning greenhouse gases. And yes, solar, wind AND nuclear can help but both the former burn green house gases in their construction and the latter has its obvious (but not as scary as 5 ft of sea level rise) drawbacks. Unfortunately the laws of thermodynamics get in the way of our hunger for energy, it ain't free man and your gonna pay somewhere. Short term fixes are worthless. Only a long term 50 to 100 year forward looking strategy THAT WE STICK TO will work. But, we are stupid big brained apes.
Maybe by then we'll have mastered Fusion and the point will be moot.
Just my humble opinion.
PS: Ready for those gas guzzling 240mph Indy 500 cars, be there!! lol
