Khaberni - A recent study has shown that buying a used electric car may be the most cost-effective choice in the long term, compared to buying a new gasoline-powered car or even a used gasoline car, according to a report published by the "Daily Mail".
According to researchers from the University of Michigan, a three-year-old mid-sized SUV electric car can save its owner about $13,000 over the vehicle's lifespan, while the savings from buying a used gasoline car are only about $3,000.
The researchers explained that the main reason behind this difference is that electric cars depreciate in value much faster than conventional cars, due to the rapid development in battery technologies, making older models much cheaper in the used car market, although they remain less costly to operate.
They noted that new electric cars are on average about 35% more expensive than cars with internal combustion engines, but this price difference significantly decreases when purchasing from the used car market.
To reach these conclusions, the researchers analyzed over 260,000 used car ads in 17 American cities, studying purchase prices, depreciation over time, as well as fuel or charging costs, maintenance, and repairs.
The study concluded that used electric cars, aged between 3 and 10 years, were in most cases the least expensive in terms of costs across different car categories, from small sedans to SUVs and even small trucks.
The researchers indicated that these savings are greater when the driver relies on home charging, while the benefit decreases for those who need to use public charging stations with higher costs. They also noted that some cities where electricity prices are high, such as Boston and San Francisco, may see higher costs of owning electric cars.
They added that used electric cars might not be the best choice for those who regularly drive long distances, due to reduced battery capacity and driving range compared to new cars.
