How many years do you think it will take before buying a used EV will be equivalent to buying a used ICE?
I've had my EV for 2 years, it's a 2023. I've had no issues and I love it and doubt I'll ever go back to ICE. Currently doing some casual research on a new EV to replace my wife's car over the next year or so. Prior to buying an EV I drove 10+ year old ICEs, age wasn't a major factor because even the most expensive repairs/maintenance on an petrol were basically the same regardless of whether the car was 5 or 20 years old (provided the car had been well looked after).
I had been toying with importing an Merc EQB from up north - but learning how bad the Merc battery warranty is I am second guessing. But it's made me wonder in general about whether we'll actually have a confident used EV market for 10-20y/o cars in the future. Nissan appeared to be leading the pack 5 years ago, loads of plans to support battery swaps etc. and yet the 2019 Leaf is practically a lemon now (my mother had one, sold it to a friend and then a cell failed and it had to be written off, appears to be common).
Will we get to a stage where battery issues are actually serviceable, repairable, replaceable in a way that's economical? We lean on manufacturer warranties, but at the end of the day Nissan have weaseled out of their warranties for lots of their customers. Kia/Hyundai have their ICCU issues and are apparently still selling affected cars.
I have no doubt EV batteries will in general last way longer than people expected a few years ago, but for the few that do have failures - will they be shit out of luck. It leaves me in the position where buying a cheaper EV is the better choice - because you won't end up as much in the hole if it's a write off.
Just wanted to have a discussion, not a naysayer by any means.