An independent, certified assessment of a used EV’s battery health is important to 88% of buyers, according to research by Startline Motor Finance.
The survey found that 88% wanted to know how the battery had been looked after by previous owners, 83% wanted to know how long it was now likely to take to fully charge, 83% would like an indication of how much capacity it was likely to lose in the future, 81% would like to know how much capacity had been lost since the car was new, and 78% would like to know how much charge it could currently hold.
Startline Motor Finance CEO Paul Burgess said: “As the motor industry is learning more and more about the long-term reliability of electric cars, it’s becoming clear that battery failure and even rapid decline in battery capacity are rare occurrences. However, when things do go wrong, it can be very expensive.
“Our data shows this message has reached consumers and there is a very strong desire to find out as much as possible about the battery of any car they are considering buying – and for this check to have a high degree of credibility. No-one wants to run the risk of having to pay a bill running into many thousands of pounds for battery repair or replacement.
“Of course, credible companies offering battery health check services are already present in the UK but we don’t have a formal, industrywide scheme of the type seen in some European countries. That leaves a credibility gap and is certainly something that would help inspire confidence in the used electric car market.”
Burgess added that all the survey responses were within 3% of when the same questions were asked a year earlier.
He said: “Sentiment has barely moved at all, according to our data, which suggests this is something that car buyers very much want. The market should be moving faster to meet that need.”
