How far does $5,000 go on a used electric car?

With a $5,000 budget, the most common used electric car you’ll find is the first‑generation Nissan Leaf, which launched with a 24 kWh battery and—because Nissan did not liquid‑cool the pack—tends to suffer greater battery degradation, the Ars Technica author says. The article notes that those early Leafs helped create broad distrust of EV battery longevity.

Used Leafs can be found for less than $2,000, and below a certain price they often get stripped for spares, with battery packs sometimes repurposed for static storage. Other ultra‑cheap options include the Mitsubishi i‑MiEV, which had just a 16 kWh pack when new; the author recalls testing one and how its skinny front tires quickly induced understeer on a highway interchange.

Its compact, one‑box design suits city life but limits range. The piece also lists compliance cars such as the Chevrolet Spark EV and Fiat 500e, and says a few Volkswagen e‑Golfs, electric Ford Focuses, some Kia Soul EVs and even a couple of very cheap BMW i3s can appear in this price range.

The author says they like the i3, and raises the question of how wide to cast a search: Autotrader can search nationwide, but could you drive an i3 home to DC from Florida or Texas, or an e‑Golf from California? What is clear is that at this price point charging will be level 2 at best and stops would need to be more frequent than the “every 50 miles” target cited under the Biden‑era NEVI plan.

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