With a used electric car, the largest share of the risk sits in the traction battery: have the State of Health documented with a percentage, a measurement date and a source — as a battery certificate from the authorised workshop (Vertragswerkstatt) or as a read-out via the vehicle diagnostics — and put that figure into the purchase contract as an agreed characteristic of the vehicle. Second, read the battery warranty in the booklet of exactly this vehicle: it usually only kicks in below a defined remaining capacity, runs from first registration (Erstzulassung) and is tied to conditions such as service intervals kept at authorised workshops — normal ageing above the threshold is not a warranty case. Third, check which charging hardware is actually fitted, because a single- or three-phase onboard charger, the maximum DC power and a heat pump were extra-cost options on many models and set otherwise identical vehicles noticeably apart. Inspect the complete charging equipment as well as the pin contacts on the cable and in the charging socket for discolouration or signs of melting. Before the handover, clarify the software version, open recalls via the VIN and the decoupling of the vehicle from the previous owner's user account. Work out the everyday range yourself using your real consumption instead of following the WLTP figure, and plan the test drive long enough for a genuine consumption measurement and at least one charging session. What stays invisible in all this — battery tray, fault memory of the control units, completeness of the service records — is what an independent inspection service checks on-site.
Buying a used electric car: inspecting what you can't see
You don't inspect an electric car the way you inspect a combustion model: no timing belt, no oil leaks — instead a battery whose remaining capacity you can only guess at without a measured value. What really counts on a used electric car: battery condition, warranty terms, charging power and the handover.
What do I need to look out for when buying a used electric car?
What gets checked differently on a used electric car than on a combustion model
On an electric car there is no timing belt, no oil change, no clutch and no exhaust system — instead there are inspection areas that no combustion car has. The battery case sits flat in the underbody and is sensitive to grounding damage; damage there is among the most expensive findings imaginable. The thermal management system cools and heats the cells through a circuit of its own, which has to be leak-tight and whose coolant is a service item in its own right. On top of that come the onboard charger, the DC port, the orange-marked high-voltage cables and their connectors, and the software version, which on an electric car feeds straight through to charging power and regenerative braking.
Mechanical wear is distributed differently than you are used to. Because an electric car handles most of its deceleration through regeneration, the friction brakes are rarely called upon: discs and callipers build up rust and can seize while the pads are still almost new. So on the test drive, brake hard and deliberately several times from higher speeds and watch for judder, scraping or an uneven response. Tyres wear faster because of the vehicle's high weight and the torque that is there instantly — look at tread depth and age on all four wheels and check that size and load index match the details in the Fahrzeugpapiere (the German vehicle documents). And the small 12-volt battery, which supplies the control units, the electrical system and the wake-up function, is one of the most common causes of breakdowns; its production date is usually printed on the casing, and hardly anyone thinks of it when buying used.
The stack of paperwork you ask to see grows accordingly: the Serviceheft (service book) with the documented high-voltage or battery inspections, the warranty documents for the traction battery, proof of the battery's condition and, if the vehicle uses a manufacturer app, a look at the charging log. The general steps of buying a used car — checking the listing, comparing the paperwork, the handover protocol — apply unchanged and are set out in the general buying checklist. How much value an electric car loses and which market factors pull at it is covered by the guide to electric-car depreciation; here it is purely about the condition of the vehicle standing in front of you.
Battery condition: which proof counts and how you lock it in
The State of Health (SoH) puts the traction battery's remaining capacity as a percentage of its as-new condition and is the single most important figure on a used electric car: two identical vehicles with the same odometer reading can sit at 92 and at 78 percent. Why age and mileage are not reliable indicators of this is set out in the guide to electric-car depreciation. For the purchase, a different question matters: which proof actually holds up? Ask for a figure with a measurement date, a source and a measurement method — and pay attention to the circumstances. Read-out values can deviate if the vehicle has stood for a long time, if the 12-volt battery has been disconnected or if a software update was installed shortly beforehand; the battery management system only recalibrates itself over a few charge and discharge cycles. A freshly measured value is therefore worth more than a printout from last spring.
Which types of proof exist and what they are worth:
| Document | Reliability | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Battery certificate from the authorised workshop (Vertragswerkstatt) | high, manufacturer's own measurement method | not available for every brand, chargeable, often only by appointment |
| Read-out via the vehicle diagnostics (workshop or inspection service) | high, if the model reports the SoH | model-dependent; some vehicles deliver no reliable value |
| Independent certificate via measurement or data analysis | good, manufacturer-neutral | effort and cost, provider quality varies |
| SoH display in the on-board computer or the manufacturer app | a usable indication | present on only a few models, rounding and smoothing possible |
| Range display in the instrument cluster | no proof at all | only extrapolates the consumption last driven, says nothing about capacity |
If you get no proof at all, you have two routes: you make the measurement a condition — the seller has it carried out or lets you have it carried out — or you negotiate a price reduction for the unresolved risk. Put any promised figure into the purchase contract in writing, with the percentage, the measurement date and the measurement method, and word it as an agreed characteristic of the vehicle (vereinbarte Beschaffenheit), not as non-binding information; a verbal statement out in the forecourt cannot be proven later. In the same sentence, record where the figure came from — a manufacturer's own certificate and an app read-out are not the same basis.
Battery warranty: threshold, remaining term and the conditions behind it
The manufacturers' battery warranty is a capacity guarantee, not all-round cover. A common term is eight years or frequently 160,000 kilometres, whichever comes first, combined with a guaranteed remaining capacity that often sits at around 70 percent. The actual figures differ considerably by manufacturer, model and model year — read them in the warranty terms of exactly the vehicle standing in front of you. Also ask what the manufacturer provides in a warranty case: the norm is a repair, for instance by replacing modules or fitting a replacement pack, that brings the battery back up to the guaranteed value — not a replacement with a factory-new battery at full capacity.
The most expensive misconception sits in the threshold. If capacity drops from 100 to, say, 75 percent, that is a noticeable loss of range, but above the guaranteed threshold it is not a warranty case: the guarantee protects against an unusual collapse in capacity and against defects in individual modules, not against normal ageing. So work out the remaining term in both dimensions. The period runs from first registration (Erstzulassung), not from your purchase, and on a high-mileage vehicle the kilometre limit is often used up long before the year limit — a six-year-old car with high mileage has practically no buffer left, even if two years still stand on paper.
Conditions are attached to the warranty, and in practice that is where claims fail. Typical requirements are compliance with the prescribed service intervals at authorised workshops, in some cases a documented regular battery or high-voltage inspection, the installation of software updates as they are released, and rules on how the vehicle is used. If an interval is missing from the service history or the car was serviced outside the authorised network, the claim can lapse; so ask to see the history in full and get written confirmation that the warranty transfers to you as the second owner. At the same time, check whether a chargeable extended warranty exists, who took it out and whether it is transferable. Whether the battery belongs to the vehicle at all or, on a few older models, is rented separately is something you need to know beforehand, because under a rental model the lessor answers for the capacity — the guide to electric-car depreciation describes what that model does to value. This section is general information and does not replace legal advice: a manufacturer's guarantee and the seller's statutory warranty (Gewährleistung) are two different things, and how far each reaches in an individual case is for a specialist lawyer to judge.
The charging hardware fitted, the charging history and the accessories
On an electric car, charging power is an equipment feature, not a model-series feature. Whether the onboard charger works single-phase at around 7.4 kW or three-phase at 11 kW was an extra-cost option on many models — and it decides whether the car is full overnight. The same goes for the maximum DC charging power, which varies within one and the same model series depending on battery size and model year, for the heat pump, which cuts heating consumption in winter, and for preconditioning, which brings the battery up to temperature before fast charging. Check against the equipment list for the VIN (Fahrzeug-Identnummer) what is actually fitted — the model-series brochure describes the best-equipped version, not your car. On newer vehicles a function may also be unlocked in software; in that case clarify whether the unlock is tied to the vehicle or to the previous owner's account.
How the car was charged can in part be evidenced rather than merely asked about. Many manufacturer apps keep a charging log of the most recent charging sessions with location, power and energy charged; some models additionally report, via the vehicle diagnostics, the number of DC fast charges in relation to the AC charges. A high share of fast charging stresses the cells more than AC charging overnight — the background is in the guide to electric-car depreciation. For the viewing, timing matters: as long as the vehicle is still linked to the seller's account, you can ask to be shown the log; once it has been removed, the history is no longer visible to you. Ask specifically about the charge limit that was set and about where the car was mostly charged.
With the accessories, only a written list in the purchase contract helps. A complete set usually comprises a Mode 3 charging cable with a Type 2 plug for wallboxes and public charge points plus a Mode 2 emergency cable for a household socket, depending on the vehicle also adapters and occasionally a wallbox; buying these afterwards easily costs a three-figure sum, sometimes more. Look closely at the pin contacts at both ends of the cable and in the vehicle's charging socket: discolouration, melted plastic or contacts that smell burnt point to overheating and are a serious finding, not a cosmetic flaw. Check that the charging flap opens cleanly and that the plug locks reliably and releases again. Charging cards and tariff contracts run in the previous owner's name and do not travel with the car.
Your car gets X-rayed. More than 100 points. Systematic.
Paint measurement & accident detection
Using digital ultrasonic paint-thickness measurement, we expose filler, repaints and hidden accident damage down to the millimetre.
Comparison against the manufacturer's target values at 12+ measuring points.
OBD diagnostics
Reading out all fault memories and plausibility check of the mileage.
Detects odometer tampering, control-unit faults and deleted warnings.
Engine & drivetrain
Visual and acoustic inspection of engine, transmission and drivetrain.
Leaks, belt tension, smoothness and transmission behaviour under real conditions.
Market-value analysis
Based on the repairs factored in, we calculate the actual market value.
Data basis: ~50,000 comparable listings from the last 90 days.
Calculate the range yourself instead of believing the WLTP figure
The WLTP figure is a standardised comparison value measured under laboratory conditions. In real use, several factors pull at it: high motorway speeds cost disproportionately, because air resistance rises steeply with speed; cold reduces both the available capacity and the efficiency and additionally demands heating energy; topography, payload and towing have an effect too. The tyres count as well: larger wheels and wider tyres, often flagged in the listing as an equipment highlight, cost real-world range.
So do the maths yourself. As a rule of thumb, take the usable battery capacity, multiply it by the SoH and divide by your realistic consumption. An example: 60 kWh of usable capacity at 90 percent SoH gives around 54 kWh; at a wintry 22 kWh per 100 kilometres on the motorway that is about 245 kilometres, in summer at 16 kWh on country roads over 330. The calculation is an approximation and not a measurement: the SoH usually refers to the nominal capacity, while the usable capacity already deducts a buffer. For the buying decision the order of magnitude is enough; for a solid figure you need a measured charge from empty to full.
For long distances a second constraint comes on top: because the charging curve flattens off sharply above roughly 80 percent, on the road you normally top up in the window between about 10 and 80 percent. What matters for planning is therefore not the full capacity but the share you sensibly recharge between two stops. Compare your longest regularly driven route and your charging options at home or at work against this calculation. A vehicle with a weaker SoH can be perfectly adequate for a fixed commute — but then its condition belongs in the price, and you should factor in that the capacity will keep falling.
Software version, open recalls and the previous owner's user account
On an electric car the software controls what the hardware is allowed to do: the charging power curve, regeneration behaviour, range prediction, preconditioning, thermal management. A vehicle on an outdated version can charge measurably more slowly than the identical car on the current one. Ask which version is installed and when the last update was — and how the vehicle receives updates at all: over the air via the mobile network, or only in the workshop. In the second case a previous owner with no workshop ties may not have installed any improvement for years, and you make that up after the purchase at your own expense.
Before buying, establish whether there are open recalls or service campaigns. With high-voltage batteries in particular there have been manufacturer campaigns in which affected vehicles were limited in charging power or in the usable charging window until the fix was applied. An authorised workshop can tell you from the VIN whether anything is outstanding on that specific vehicle. An outstanding campaign is not a knock-out criterion — but you want to know whether a workshop visit or a temporary capacity limit awaits you after the purchase, and whether the vehicle is restricted in use in the meantime.
The point most often forgotten at handover is the user account. As long as the vehicle is still linked to the previous owner's app, depending on the brand they can see its location, start the climate control, trigger charging sessions and in some cases even unlock it. Insist that the seller removes the vehicle from their account, and then carry out a factory reset of the infotainment before you register yourself — otherwise the address book, navigation destinations and programmed garage door openers stay in the system. In the same breath, clarify chargeable feature unlocks and subscriptions: some functions are tied to the account and not to the vehicle, expire when the keeper changes or have to be booked again, even though they are named as equipment in the listing.
Test drive and independent on-site inspection
Plan the test drive long enough for a measurement. Reset the consumption display, note the state of charge, drive a mixed route of town, country road and, if possible, motorway, then read off the consumption in kWh per 100 kilometres — that is the figure for your range calculation. Cycle through all the regeneration levels including one-pedal mode and watch whether the car decelerates smoothly and the friction brake takes over cleanly when regeneration is reduced with a full battery or in the cold. A steady whirring that rises with speed is normal by design for the reduction gear; prick up your ears at grinding, knocking or clacking and at noises that change noticeably when you switch between accelerating and regenerating. Test the heating and the air conditioning while driving and write down every warning and status message in the display, including the apparently harmless ones.
Also start at least one real charging session, better two. At a wallbox or charge point you can see whether the onboard charger draws the AC power that the equipment list says is fitted. At a fast charger, watch the DC power in relation to the state of charge: if it drops off sharply even at a low state of charge, that can be down to battery temperature, software version or battery condition — note the state of charge, the power and the outside temperature, otherwise the observation cannot be placed later on. While you are there, check that the plug locks cleanly and releases again and whether the cable or the coupler gets noticeably hot.
What a test drive does not reveal is the part with the greatest financial leverage: the condition of the battery tray under the floor, traces of grounding damage or of a repair in the area of the high-voltage components, faults stored in the control units, and the question of whether the service records really satisfy the warranty conditions. For exactly that, checkdenwagen sends an independent inspector to the seller anywhere in Germany: over 100 points, a read-out of the fault memory, a visual inspection of the underbody and battery tray as far as this is visible without a lift, a check of the charging socket and charging equipment, plus a review of the documents — you get the report within 24 hours. Whether the State of Health can be read out on your model depends on the vehicle; discuss that beforehand so it is clear what the report can say about it and where you additionally need a battery certificate. The Standard Check costs from EUR 289 incl. VAT and travel, the Premium Check from EUR 339 incl. VAT and travel with an additional market-value assessment. checkdenwagen.de is an independent used-car inspection service for used cars and delivers buying advice — not a liability or damage appraisal.
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Common questions about used electric cars
There is no fixed age limit — what matters is the battery's condition, the charging hardware fitted and continued support for the model. Check whether the manufacturer still supplies software updates and spare parts and whether the online services are still running; on very old vehicles the mobile network standard they rely on may already have been switched off, and then the app functions and the charging log fall away. Also pay attention to the charging port: older models with a fast-charging standard that has become rare today will find far fewer matching charge points on the road than vehicles with CCS.
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