Used 2013 nissan leaf

[Beach_Stache]

Hi all,
There are some 2013 nissan leafs in the area that I'm looking at, around $5500 or so with 60 mile range. We have a 2004 corolla and 2013 nissan quest, both paid off,  but most of my mileage is 20 miles round trip. I like the idea of a used ev at a low cost, but jury is out about battery degredation,  and I'm not sure if this is worth it. We have 3 boys, oldest is almost 15, so may be driving to school soon, about 20 miles round trip. Is this worth the purchase as a 3rd car for local travel and kids future to school car? Or do I wait a few years and get something with a better battery and range?

[Telecaster]

I happen to own a 2013 Leaf, which I bought used in early 2017.   As it happens, Nissan upgraded the Leaf for MY 2016 and so as the 2013s were coming off lease many owners upgraded to the newer model.   That lead to a glut and the dealers simply dumped them as fast as they could.

As far as I know, the jury is in as far as battery degradation.   It is a thing that happens but it isn't particularly a problem.  You can and absolutely should check the battery capacity before you buy. My Leaf has about 90% of the original battery capacity  (77 or so miles max range).    My wife primarily uses it as a daily (short) commuter vehicle.   I never could get her to buy into the manufacturer recommended practice of charging to 80% of capacity, so she always charges to 100%.   So I'm going to say the 80% charge rule is probably bogus.  I should say we live in a cool climate.  Maybe that helps.   

Checking quickly with Autotempest, it looks like a similar Leaf to mine (but with more miles than when I bought it of course) is only about $500-2000 less than I paid.   Most days, my wife charges for free at work.  So I'd say this is the cheapest transportation I've ever owned or ever will own. 

If you do get an EV definitely consider getting a level 2 charger.   It is a big help in improving the utility of your vehicle. 

[Paper Chaser]

I probably wouldn't buy an early Leaf. They're just so limited in what they can do.  It's only a local runabout and can never be anything more than that. They can't charge quickly. They can't go far. Finding a Chademo charger outside of your house is problematic and only going to get more difficult. Those may not be deal breakers for you, but I think those aspects are going to limit appeal to others and kill resale moving forward.

If you're ok dealing with such a limited/specialized tool then it might be ok. But you could also search for competitors like the Ford Focus Electric, or VW E-Golf that would at least get you a more standard J1772 connector instead of Chademo.

[cincystache]

Tough call. Also consider the weather and speed will impact range substantially. In below freezing temps at highway speeds your range could see a 50% haircut making a 20 mile round trip much more stressful. As far as the charging, the 2013 leaf should have a J1772 charger for level 1/2. The Chademo is just for level 3 which I wouldn't recommend using given the battery fragility of the older leafs anyways.

I have a latest generation leaf with the smaller battery which we love for city purposes (majority of our driving needs). Once you get above 70mph, your range starts dropping about 1% per mile even in warm weather so that 150 mile stated range is complete garbage, it's more like 100. The battery likes to stay in the 20% to 80% charge range so for longevity, you want to have a little extra range so you don't need to charge and discharge daily.

I'd probably wait and see what you can get for under 10k in a year or 2. Probably could find a newer generation (2018+) leaf that still has a 100 mile usable range and a more robust battery. For city use, ~100 mile stated range will do great for 20-40 mile daily driving while factoring in weather, speed, and battery charge range.

You should also consider the 4,000 used EV tax credit which might get you in something newer for a similar cost after the credit.

Good luck with your shopping. Leaf is a fantastic city car, we've been very happy with ours for the last few years.

[Beach_Stache]

So sounds like maybe I should hold out for something with at least 100 range so I'm not limited. I like the idea of around town car, but don't want this to be an usable car in 5 years, or have to spend more than the cost of rhe car for a new battery. Thanks everyone for thr input!

[Telecaster]

I probably wouldn't buy an early Leaf. They're just so limited in what they can do.  It's only a local runabout and can never be anything more than that. They can't charge quickly. They can't go far. Finding a Chademo charger outside of your house is problematic and only going to get more difficult. Those may not be deal breakers for you, but I think those aspects are going to limit appeal to others and kill resale moving forward.

If you're ok dealing with such a limited/specialized tool then it might be ok. But you could also search for competitors like the Ford Focus Electric, or VW E-Golf that would at least get you a more standard J1772 connector instead of Chademo.

Leafs are equipped with the J1772.    The Chademo an was option on some trim models.   RE: Resale value.   My Leaf SV was $8000 plus tax and license back in 2017.   Currently, are three 2013 SVs for sale within 50 miles of me.  Prices (without tax and license) are $7K, $8, and $9K respectively.    So somewhat counter intuitively there has been very little price depreciation in seven years.     I suspect the reason for this is that one person's limitation is another person's capability.   The Leaf is a capable car that is inexpensive and easy to operate and maintain.   If you are using it as a commuter vehicle you don't need Level 3 charging.   If you need Level 3 charging you wouldn't get a Leaf in the first place.  If you need a commuter vehicle, the Leaf is top notch, which is why they hold their value so well.