We’ve all probably heard nightmare stories of electric vehicle owners being slapped with preposterous battery repair bills. One particularly heart-dropping story involves a Canadian EV driver who was quoted a ghastly $60,000.

That Vancouver Sun story and other nightmare battery stories have instilled a belief that electric cars aren’t good long-term investments. Who would care about saving money on gas in a Tesla, for instance? Not when you’re expected to potentially shell out $20,000 to $28,000 for a new battery once the warranty’s up. This logic also makes purchasing used EVs a scary prospect for some. But are pre-owned electric cars a bad buy?

Jimmy Douglas (@jimmydouglas_) is the founder and CEO of Plug, an EV auction site. He highlights how a Consumer Reports piece may indicate that this isn’t wholly true. Jimmy opined on used EVs in a recent TikTok, and said that there’s a “sweet spot” buyers can hit when shopping around.

“Are used EV purchases actually as risky as people think? Consumer Reports points to a sweet spot in the market: a used EV that’s still under battery warranty. But already has depreciated,” he says. “Best bang for your buck.”

Jimmy’s Used EV Counterpoint

He goes on to say that the Consumer Reports write-up may not provide a full picture for buyers. “Their advice isn’t bad, but it’s based on some outdated assumptions that don’t really reflect where the EV market is today,” Jimmy opines. “They warn about battery replacement costs, citing old Tesla Model S data,” he remarks.

Indeed, there are more and more third-party companies that charge way less to repair car batteries. Gruber Motors, for instance, specializes in fixing massive EV power packs, especially Teslas. A rep from the business also delineated how these batteries operate. Since they’re composed of individual cells, oftentimes, just a few of these units need to be replaced.

While dismantling them and putting them back together can be a painstaking process, it’s cheaper than a total replacement. In one instance, they shared how a single bad cell in a 7,000 unit pack resulted in a bad battery reading for one Tesla model. Instead of swapping the entire battery, they just replaced dead or dying cells.

Similarly, an old Prius owner bested “the red triangle of death” himself with just $100 in parts and equipment:

The faulty battery alert went away, his gas mileage went up, and his battery was back to normal. So folks wary of purchasing used hybrids for the same issue, can feel a little better about potentially purchasing used HEVs.

Electric Battery Repair Shops

Moreover, companies like Greentec motors can also help drivers extend the lives of their EVs/HEVs/PHEVs, too. Greentec offers full battery replacements and service quotes that are much less than the aforementioned full replacements mentioned in the Consumer Reports article. Additionally, as battery tech gets better over time, drivers can potentially upgrade their vehicle’s battery capacities.

For instance, Greentec sells upgraded battery packs for 2012-2016 Toyota Prius Plugins. Not to mention, the pack comes with a 2 year warranty as well, all for $4,500. Which isn’t exactly chump change, but still way cheaper than buying a newer, reliable car altogether. And at least you know you’ve been properly maintaining (hopefully) your ride, rather than some bargain Facebook Marketplace find that popped up in your feed.

Jimmy argues in his TikTok that older EVs aren’t as dependable as more recently manufactured ones, either. Furthermore, he says they “make up less than 10% of the used EV market today. Newer EVs only have about a 1% battery failure rate.” Others have corroborated that electric vehicles are rarely packed with faulty batteries. And while they do degrade somewhat over time, the likelihood of them failing is relatively slim, InsideEVs reports.

Battery Woes Overblown?

According to Jimmy, folks shouldn’t worry too much about used electric car batteries crapping out on them. However, he does urge folks to try and get extended warranties on their EV batteries. Following this, he says buyers should perform their due diligence and monitor an EV’s battery health prior to purchasing, too. “Yes, batteries are expensive. So if yours is older, and out of warranty, get an extended one. And definitely get a battery health report before you buy.”

Towards the end of his clip, he says that he disagrees with Consumer Reports suggesting folks buy used HEVs instead of EVs. “Where I disagree they suggest hybrids might be a safer bet. But plug-in hybrid electric vehicles actually have two drivetrains to maintain. So they can be less reliable in the long run than a battery electric vehicle.”

He closed out his video by stating: “Battery health matters. Warranties matter, but the market is safer than most people think.” Some may argue that while his advice seems sound, it might not matter to the one buyer whose stuck with a bad battery.

Scientific American also said in 2024 that repairing EV batteries is still a dangerous process. And folks can point to the fires Gruber Motors experienced as support for this claim. And as for warranties: there have been buyers who’ve vented their frustrations with automakers refusing to honor their terms. Effectively leaving them with a driveway paperweight, or looking for other solutions, that could come out of their own pockets.

MotorBiscuit reached out to Jimmy for more information on his recommendations for reliable used electric vehicles.