Never mind those electric-car bargains we told you about mere months ago. Prices have been on such a steep downward trajectory that there’s already an entirely new, sweeter set of deals to be found. You might find a five-year-old vehicle with relatively low mileage, very low operating costs, and nothing wrong with it?for the price of a beater.
The asterisk: That car would most likely be a Nissan Leaf, and you?ll only be able to go about 60 miles before needing many hours plugged in?unless you?re fortunate enough to have fast-charging hardware nearby.
Apparently most people aren?t willing to live with that asterisk or the few others that accompany life with a used electric car. According to the pricing authority Black Book, retail values for the used 2013 Nissan Leaf are at an average 22 percent of the original MSRP?in the range of $8000 to $8500?while that five-year-old Leaf is selling at just 11 percent of its original sticker. A three-year-old Leaf?a $30,000 to $40,000 car new?returned from lease gets sold at wholesale auction at $6000 to $7000 or, on average, just 18 percent of its original price. For gasoline vehicles, a three-year residual is typically in the 45- to 65-percent range. ?To be under 20 percent is fairly telling,? said Anil Goyal, Black Book?s senior vice-president of operations. ?A lot of it has to do with demand.?
In all fairness, the original buyers didn?t lose quite that much money. They likely received a $7500 federal tax credit, along with a r...