Interested in buying an electric car without breaking the bank? While more affordable EVs are entering the market, most new car dealerships just don’t have cars in inventory… and they don’t even know when they’re going to get their next shipments. Combine that with dealer markups of 20% or higher on high-demand EVs, and finding a new electric car can be challenging if not impossible.
That said, if you’re willing to accept a slightly used electric car over a new one then you will have more options. And fortunately, with online marketplaces like Carvana your search for a used electric car has become much easier. With 1,458 used electric cars in Carvana’s inventory, you are sure to find an EV that will meet your needs.
Let’s look at the process of finding electric cars on Carvana and the best electric cars available on Carvana today:
How to Search for Electric Cars on Carvana
If you haven’t heard about Carvana, it’s the fastest-growing online car dealership. Car buyers can view, sort, and buy cars online throughout the U.S. Carvana also features a 360-degree view to allow buyers to rotate the car from multiple angles, open doors, and even view the interior, all from the comfort of their couch.
Once you make your selection, Carvana will deliver your electric car to your door or you can pick it up from one of their car vending machines. To ensure you’re completely happy with your EV Purchase, all Carvana cars come with a 7-day “Love it or Return it Guarantee” and a 100-day/4,189 mile “Worry-Free Limited Warranty.”
How to Search For Electric Cars on Carvana
- From the Carvana Homepage, click on “Search Cars”
- From the Search Page go to “More Filters”
- Under Fuel Type, select “Electric”
What to Check Before Buying a Used Electric Car
Electric cars’ drivetrains are very different from gas-powered cars. Therefore, when you are shopping for an electric car you will want to do your research differently than when shopping for a gas-powered car.
Unlike gas-powered cars, electric cars have a large electric motor(s) that only has one moving part. Electric motors don’t tend to wear out like a gas car engine, so high mileage and fluid changes are not a good measure for an electric car. There are three main concerns we want to check on before buying a used electric car.
Range
Range is the distance the electric car may be able to drive on a full charge. It’s important to note that this number is an aspirational number set by the manufacturer. Many factors like heat and AC, temperature, and type of driving will affect the actual range.
The electric car’s range is mainly determined by the size of the battery. Batteries are the most expensive part of manufacturing an electric car, so the less expensive the car typically the smaller the battery size and the shorter the range.
The distance an electric vehicle can drive is a very important factor in selecting a reliable and functional used car… Unless you don’t mind being stuck on an interstate during a snowstorm.
Battery Cycles/Mileage
Like the battery in your cell phone, each time the battery is drained and recharged (called cycled,) the less total capacity the battery can hold. This loss of battery capacity is called capacity fade.
It’s not that you need to worry about your battery not working someday, like on your remote control, it’s that over time the capacity fade will prevent your EV from driving longer distances. Once an electric car’s battery has cycled hundreds of times, the maximum charge capacity will be reduced and so will the car’s range. Therefore, the useful life of the battery is limited by its current capacity.
Currently, there is no easy way to test the capacity of an electric car’s battery, so the rule of thumb is to assume that for every 100,000 miles the battery will lose 7% of its battery capacity. For example, if an electric car was once able to drive 250 miles on a full charge, when new, at 100,000 miles may only be able to achieve 232 miles on a full charge.
Battery Warranty
Capacity fade and total battery failure is the greatest risk in buying a used electric car. The lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles are the most expensive component of the car. Some replacement batteries can cost as much as $20,000, not including the installation.
Manufacturers know this is a concern for prospective EV buyers, so many car makers are offering warranties of up to 10 years and 100,000 miles to cover the expense if the battery of their electric car fails. For this reason, before you sign your name to your used EV, check the battery warranty to ensure it will cover you for the period of time you plan on owning the car and that transfers to you as the second or third owner.
Best Used Cheap Electric Car on Carvana
Many car buyers believe electric cars are expensive and don’t know they can afford one. We decided to see what cheap used EVs we could find on Carvana. A quick search produced over 300 electric cars that you can buy with payments under $450.00 a month ($4,000 Down, 72-month loan at 9.09%.).
If you are not sure what price range you can afford, Carvana also has a convenient Loan Calculator to help electric car buyers calculate car payments and they list the estimated payments for each car.
We took the liberty to help you find what we believe is the best cheap electric car you can buy on Carvana. To do this we did a quick search of electric cars, under price and payments we selected payments under $450.00, and we sorted the results by “Newest Year.” This way we will see the newest first.
Many early-model EVs have a maximum range of fewer than 100 miles. We feel that this is too little range for the average driver so we eliminated vehicles with less than a 100-mile range in our list of the best cheap electric cars.
While all cars on the list were available at the time of this article and are subject to sale, they serve as an example of what electric cars you can find on Carvana. If the exact cars or no longer available, you can search the models to find similar options.
1. 2019 Leaf SV [Second Runner Up]
The Nissan Leaf has, in recent years, dominated the entry-level electric car market. The SV trim package has more standard options than the S package.
This 2019 Nissan Leaf SV on Carvana is a good deal for a used electric vehicle under $29,000 considering a new 2023 Nissan Leaf SV will run you nearly $40,000. This EV comes with heated seats and a steering wheel, an infotainment center with navigation, and a backup camera.
With only 32,997 miles, there is plenty of mileage left on the 96-months/100,000-mile drivetrain warranty. The downside to this used electric car is the limited range of 150 miles, due to its small 40kWh battery.
2. 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric [Runner Up]
Hyundai entered the EV market in 2017 with the Ioniq Electric. This nice black-on-black 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric is a fine example of a low-mileage electric car on Carvana. This electric car offers heated seats, an infotainment system, hands-free calling, and a backup camera, for just a hair under $28,000.
There is plenty of life left on this electric car with only 18,793 miles of the unmatched 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty used. With an estimated range of 124 miles, the early version of the 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Electric has a much shorter range than its newer version.
3. 2019 VW e-Golf [Best Cheap Electric Car on Carvana]
VW is no newcomer to the electric car space, with their first production EV going to market in Germany in 1985. The Golf has long been a favorite for VW fans, and this used 2019 VW e-Golf is a great example of what’s to come from VW.
$27,990 for a sporty electric car with 125 miles of range… sounds like a pretty fair deal to me. The low 35,653 miles in a 2019 electric car, equals just under 12,000 miles of driving each year.
The VW e-Golf has a battery warranty of 8 years and 100,000 miles. The original reported range was estimated at 125 miles.
Best Used Electric AWD/4WD Car on Carvana
Living in Colorado, where it can go from sunny mornings to snow and ice by lunchtime, there is not a chance I would buy any car that doesn’t have All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) or 4WD. Therefore, my first search on Carvana was for EVs that have AWD and 4WD, and here are the best deals that I found.
4. 2021 XC40 Volvo
2020 was the first year Volvo entered the electric car market and the XC40 Recharge was their first fully electric production car. We love the SUV style of the XC40 Recharge.
On Carvana, I found this beautiful used 2021 XC40 Recharge for $56,990. This electric car is loaded with all the creature comforts and safety options of a luxury gas-powered car. The 2021 XC40 Recharge has dual electric motors and a 78 kWh battery that offers just over 200 miles of range.
This white-on-black example has only 12,498 miles. The battery warranty is a fair 8-year/100,000 miles, so you have many miles before you’ll have to worry about battery failure.
Best Used Electric Truck on Carvana
Carvana makes it easy to search for any type of electric car. To find trucks simply go to the search car menu and select “Truck” under the “Body Type” drop-down menu, and voilà!
One shocking thing was that Carvana doesn’t have one hard-to-find Rivian RT1… they have six to choose from! However, there weren’t any Ford Lightnings or Hummer EVs, yet.
5. 2022 Rivian R1T
If you want a new Rivian today you may need to sit on a waitlist for up to a year. Or you can order this 2022 Rivian R1T with less than 500 miles, and Carvana will have it delivered to your door in less than a week!
Rivian isn’t a gas-powered car company that is retrofitting their old models to electric. Founded in 2009, Rivian has always been an electric vehicle manufacturer. Before you worry about their ability to survive in the competitive EV market, know that they have already established partnerships to manufacture vehicles for both Amazon and Mercedes.
The Rivian R1T features all-wheel-drive with 4 electric motors that can propel the Rivian R1t from 0-60 mph in about 3-seconds. (One and a half seconds faster than a Lamborghini Diablo.)
The 135 kWh battery gives the R1T over 300 miles of range, and Rivian offers one of the best battery warranties with 8 years and 175,000 miles of coverage.
Best Used Electric Luxury Car on Carvana
6. 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid
Looking for the sleekest, fastest, and most envious car you can find on Carvana… then look no further. Because, this 5,200-mile, black-on-white interior 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid will make James Bond turn green.
The Tesla Model S Plaid has the 2nd fastest 0-60 speed of any production car ever, and the fastest luxury sedan hands-down. With over 1,000 horsepower and 1000+ lb ft of torque coming from the Model S Plaid’s three electric motors and 100 kWh battery pack, Tesla offers an 8-year/150,000-mile warranty on the battery of the Tesla Model S Plaid.
The interior resembles the Starship Enterprise with the oversized screen, panoramic roof, and the infamous airplane-style steering wheel.
Carvana offers this hard-to-find luxury EV for $124,990, or about the same as three brand-new 2023 Hyundai Kona Electrics.
Best Overall Electric Car Deal on Carvana
If you’re simply searching for the best overall deal on Carvana then I have found the electric car for you! Performance, all-wheel-drive, luxury, and affordability (well, relatively affordable for an EV). Presenting the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance!
7. 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance
For about the cost of three cups of coffee a day you can drive this 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance. Currently offered on Carvana for $4,300 less than Kelly Blue Book this car has it all.
The one-year-old Model 3 only has 6,319 miles on the pearl-white-paint-over-black-leather interior electric car. The 19” black turbine-style wheels scream performance—and it isn’t an idle threat because the Model 3 Performance can leap from 0-60 in just over three seconds.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance also offers all of the latest safety technology, like lane assist, blind-spot avoidance, and frontal collision avoidance.
The Model 3 Performance has a range of 310 miles from its dual electric motors and 82 kWh battery. The Model 3 Performance battery is covered by an 8 year/120,000-mile limited warranty.
Carvana is offering this 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance for $63,990. Okay, okay.. maybe not that affordable ;-).
Final Thoughts
Searching for a used electric car can be difficult if you limit yourself to only the EVs in your area or region. With Carvana, you can search their entire used electric car inventory throughout the U.S.
Once you select the right electric car for you, Carvana will deliver it to your door and give you a week to test it before you make your final commitment. This along with their massive electric car inventory make buying a used electric car simple and safe.
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