Want to buy a used EV? Here’s what to look out for

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I'm Nicole Mortillaro, and lately I've become more interested in whether or not it's a good idea to invest in a used EV. I had a lot of questions, so I looked into what's out there and what to consider. It's good news.

This week:

If you're like me, you may have been pondering the idea of buying a used EV. I drive a 20-year-old car that is likely on its last legs and gas prices are pretty insane now, so I started poking around online to see if there were good options. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that there is a pretty robust used EV market. 

But I didn't know the first thing about EVs, let alone what to consider when purchasing a used one. Are batteries still good in used EVs? Should I be concerned about range?

Here's what I learned.

Don't stress about range

Most older EV models (before 2016) had shorter ranges than the newer ones of today, varying from roughly 100 kilometres to 200 kilometres on a single charge (Tesla is the outlier here, however, with early ranges of up to 280 kilometres). Newer models boast an average of around 400 kilometres, although today's newer higher-end models can go as far as 800 kilometres. 

Sure, it's important to consider range when purchasing, but it's not as big a deal as you might think, experts say. 

"People don't drive as much as they think they do," said Chris Hardesty, senior advice editor for Kelly Blue Book, an automotive research company. 

While looking at older models, just look for the range that best suits your everyday needs. Do you actually drive 200 kilometres each day? Likely not. 

"Most people, they're thinking, 'Well, once a year I go to Newfoundland' … and they're very concerned about that, as opposed to like, 'What do I routinely do?'" said Cara Clairman, president and CEO of Plug'n Drive, a non-profit that advocates and supports the adoption of electric vehicles. "So we try to encourage people to buy the car for the 99 per cent, not the one per cent."

When it comes to that once-a-year or twice-a-year trip, there are options.

Both Clairman and Hardesty said it's best to plan ahead by using the various apps that list chargers that will be along your route. Hardesty tested that himself and found no issues.

Or you can simply rent a gas-powered vehicle if need be.

Battery life

One of the concerns I had with buying a used EV was its battery. Were used ones any good? 

Yes, said Johnny Beckett, an EV expert and co-founder of EV Network, a company that provides education on EVs and sells used ones. He is also the chief financial officer and treasurer for the Electric Vehicle Association of Atlantic Canada.

Batteries in EVs built since around 2015 use active cooling, reducing degradation due to heat damage, Beckett said. And that change means these lithium ion batteries "can last an enormous amount of time."

"They're way outlasting the body of the car," Clairman said.

All the experts stressed how important it is to get a state of health report on your used EV car battery, which should be provided by the seller. If the battery's health is near 70 per cent, Beckett said he wouldn"t recommend buying it.

So the good news is the used EV market is robust, and there are predictions that it's about to boom in the next couple of years.

And let's remember that we're trying to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

"I've been driving EVs for 15 years. I feel it's more affordable. It's better for the environment," Clairman said. "We don't even talk about the health benefits of more and more people driving EVs and less air pollution in our cities."

— Nicole Mortillaro

Check out our podcast and radio show. In our latest episode: Hop on board an electric school bus in Richmond, B.C., and meet a driver who says: "Once you start driving them, you don't want to go back." So why aren't more kids across Canada riding to school on these quieter and cleaner buses? Producer Nick Logan takes a spin through the successes and ongoing challenges with electrifying Canada's school bus fleets. Then we hear from an EV advocate about the policy changes needed to speed the transition.

A couple of weeks ago, Emily Chung looked into why more people are riding e-bikes and what might be stopping others from getting on board.

Teal Burns of Halifax wrote that they have an e-bike, but their partner doesn't "and it helps balance out our skill levels so we can maintain a similar pace, which is nice."

They added that e-bike theft is a real problem and a deterrent to e-bike use, as University of British Columbia researcher Alex Bigazzi reported based on public surveys.

"I wanted to mention that when workplaces have protected e-bike parking it can make all the difference," Burns wrote. "I had two previous employers who allowed employees to park bikes either in the front lobby area (and even installed little spots to lock your bikes) or free access to underground parking. If I know that I can keep my bike safe for a few hours where I'm going, my odds of planning to ride my bike there skyrocket…. If places like Costco, Walmart, shopping centres, etc., had a safe little shed or something to lock up and charge I'd definitely consider using my e-bike a lot more for trips I might not otherwise. Having an e-bike definitely has so many benefits to it. And this is my lock recommendation for those paranoid about theft — supposed to be pretty angle grinder proof."

Write us at whatonearth@cbc.ca (and send photos there too!)

A couple of years ago, we posted pictures of signs urging people to eat invasive species such as garlic mustard. They were created by Toronto artist Echo Railton. She recently emailed us this photo of a salad she made to remind us that it's garlic mustard season once again.

Railton volunteers with Toronto Nature Stewards, who care for and restore the city's ravines and natural areas by picking up trash, planting native species and removing invasive species — including garlic mustard.

"We've been pulling heaps of this delicious plant out of the ravines and parks," she said. "I wanted to share that I really enjoyed it with kale, lemon squeezed over and garlic crushed in. I topped it off with Parmesan."

Garlic mustard is a plant native to Europe that the Invasive Species Centre describes as "one of Ontario's most aggressive forest invaders." It's now also found in parts of Quebec and Western and Atlantic Canada. It produces herbicides that stop other plants from growing. Because of that, it can become the dominant plant in a forest understory within just a few years of establishing itself in a new location.

Railton recommends harvesting it now, in spring. "It's only good this and next month and then it's a bit bitter," she wrote. "Right now it tastes like arugula."

— Emily Chung

Computer monitors and microphones fill a tiny room tucked behind the library at the Dene Tha' Community School (DTCS) in northwestern Alberta. Inside, teenagers are making radio magic.

The space is home to the school's online radio station, where high school students broadcast to the community. It's a place for learning and an outlet to share timely updates to the local population of more than 900.

Chara Metchooyeah, 19, is one of the station's hosts. The recent graduate and current DTCS radio program director feels the online broadcast can be beneficial to the community.

"One minute I can be adding humour or personality to a segment and the next I'm sharing important information that people actually rely on."

Hosts play their favourite songs, present evening shows and share weather updates. Culture is also key in their programming — the station regularly features a Dene Tha' "word of the moment" to support the Dene language.

DTCS teacher Sean Hickman has overseen the program since 2024.

"Getting local input into things like radio, especially the younger you are, allows the students to take control a little bit of their own destinies," Hickman said.

Fires and flooding

Chateh is about 850 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. It's one of three communities, along with Bushe River and Meander River, that make up Dene Tha' First Nation.

In recent years, the community has often been under threat from natural disaster, being evacuated multiple times due to flooding or wildfire.

Residents were put on evacuation order as recently as last summer due to encroaching fires.

Those situations are where Hickman and Metchooyeah hope the station can contribute to informing locals.

"When it comes to disasters like fires, like flooding … they are able to get information out to people quickly," Hickman said, adding that many DTCS students were in class when the 2025 fire began to escalate. 

Dene Tha’ students harness the power of radio this wildfire season

"With a lot of snow melts here, our rivers rise up and we kind of have to get on out," Mangaser said, noting that their school year has been cut short due to evacuation multiple times.

He said the station can be valuable to elders and those who don't rely on social media for updates. 

About 200 students attend the K-12 school.

Not just a voice at home

Staff said some radio students stepped out of their comfort zone over spring break. Several DTCS contributors took a field trip to Edmonton to cover a rally against Alberta independence hosted by an array of First Nations.

"We interacted with the chiefs and we just had conversations with them and it was pretty good," Metchooyeah said.

Some students held signs and participated in the protest while others used their audio gear to gather in-the-field interviews to take home to their station in Chateh.

Mangaser said those are "confidence-building" experiences that help showcase the value of the radio program.

"[The] radio station gives a big voice for Indigenous youth and we here at the school try to invoke that and give them a chance to say what they need to say." 

Hickman said working in radio has been extremely valuable for Metchooyeah.

"I"m extremely proud of her." Hickman said. "She is constantly working. I'll get pages from her at all hours of the evening, just because she actually wants to come up with a new concept not only for the radio but for herself." 

Keeping Chateh safe and informed

Metchooyeah said helping her community has been her focus. She already has several years of experience volunteering within emergency management on the reserve, knocking on doors and helping people find transportation when a threat looms. 

"I'm usually one of the last few to leave until my boss leaves [during a disaster]." 

She plans to take that one step further by attending the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology's disaster and emergency management program remotely this fall. She dreams of running the emergency management team in Chateh one day.

Metchooyeah's motivation is simple.

"To make sure the community is more safe and that we have the proper protocols." 

— Eagle Andersen

Thanks for reading. If you have questions, criticisms or story tips, please send them to whatonearth@cbc.ca.

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Editors: Emily Chung and Hannah Hoag | Logo design: Sködt McNalty

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