Buying a used electric car in Australia: battery, range and running costs
Updated 4 January 2026 · 6 min read
Used electric cars are now genuinely affordable, and the fear that dominates the conversation — sudden battery failure — is rare. The real questions are how much capacity the pack has lost and whether the car suits how far you drive.
Checking battery health
Most manufacturers warrant the traction battery for eight years or around 160,000 km to a stated capacity floor, commonly 70%. Ask the seller for the build date, because the warranty runs from first registration, not from when they bought it.
Charge the car to 100% and read the indicated range, then compare it with the original figure for that model. A drop of 5 to 12% over the first five years is normal. Some models expose a state-of-health figure in the service menu; a workshop with the right diagnostic tool can read it.
Real-world range in Australia
Expect the advertised figure to fall by roughly 15 to 25% at highway speed, more with a roof box, a trailer or the air conditioning working hard in a Queensland summer. Cold Tasmanian mornings cost range too, though less than northern-hemisphere reports suggest.
What charging costs
A typical mid-size EV uses about 16 kWh per 100 km. On a flat home tariff around 30c/kWh that is roughly $5 per 100 km; overnight or with solar it can drop under $2. Public fast charging is far dearer and is best treated as a road-trip tool, not a daily habit.
- Confirm the charging cables are included — replacements are expensive
- Check whether the car supports the DC standard used on your usual routes
- Ask whether the car has been fast-charged daily for years
- Have an electrician quote a home wall box before you commit
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