You won't be going on road trips, but a very cheap electric runabout is possible.
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How far does $5,000 go when you want an electric car?
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I've got a 2018 Nissan Leaf myself, and this is exactly what I did when my family did a get-together on the other side of the state in a rural area. For literally everything else, my Leaf is perfect--it has enough range for me to get to and from work, do errands, and visit local friends. Combined with a CCS-to-CHAdeMO for the occasional quick charge, it's more than enough to meet all my needs.
I am considering replacing the battery at some point since the range is starting to degrade (it's gone from estimating 140-160 miles to 115-135 miles depending on the range) but that's still a few years off for me.
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Same with the Twizy, there is a fun hacking community around it (Never thought the words "car" and "hacking" would be used in the same sentence). I have a set of 14 batteries on the way for €750 that will replace the tired packs that I have now, upgrading the 6KW capacity to 11KW at the same time. I believe the original pack contains the same Leaf batteries by the way.
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For 2016/2017 Leaf that had a 30 KW battery (the 100 mile range version), if the car had a warranty replaced battery the new batteries are 40 KW and it should now have a range of 130 miles. It also works a hell of a lot better in below freezing weather now.
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Nissan/NTB20-001
https://www.tsbsearch.com/Nissan/NTB20-001
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Some of these might work for me, but I think I will just save up a little longer. Yesterday was -5* F and a 34 mile commute stopping at the hardware store on the way through town. I am not sure a used Leaf would make that trip.
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I would love to have a vehicle like that for around town stuff. My biggest fear of that is the fact visibility of that car from the numerous FX50 Brodozers out there is pretty much zero.
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That I don't think they are going to be high mileage because EV in that price category are almost all low range (e.g. Nissan Leaf) and haven't been taken on long road trips. I did a edmunds.com search for used EV under $5k (no accidents) within 500 miles of the home of Carvel Ice Cream (a random location I picked) and found there was one vehicle at 122k... but most of the vehicles were in the 30-80k mile range.
I agree. As a separate note, I notice some poster complaining that all vehicles look that same... but the way I see it a used crossover-SUV (which in my opinion are often just a tallish hatchbacks) is the ideal "econobox" shape, the maximum passenger/cargo space for a given footprint - and if you buy it 5-years used, you are getting it are like 50% of the original price, but with 15-20 years and 150-200k of usage left out of it (the type of lifespan a brand vehicle from 1995 would have gotten at a higher inflation adjusted cost).
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In general the used-EV market is great for the consumer. While only a few are sub-$5k, there is a broad range of choices as you add budget. I bought a 2024 Nissan Ariya in Oct of 2025 for $22k. Having a level 2 charger installed in the garage added another $1k to the price. Two things bring a smile to my face: driving past a gas station with long lines and the occasional credit ($10 or so) I get from the electric utility when I let them disable daytime charging during weather days.
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EVs are cheaper to maintain, and are more efficient than their gas counterparts.
MPGe is based on the assumption of 33.7 KWh/gallon of gasoline. reference
my leaf gets around 3.5-4 miles per KWh of real world driving. $4.50 gets me a gallon of gas. $0.45 gets me a KWh from the murderous PG&E corporation.
the nissan versa is probably the closes comparable ice car to the leaf. per fuelly the versa (for the same year as my leaf) averages 32.2 MPG of real world driving.
33.7 KWh will move my leaf 134 miles and costs around $15 or $0.11/mile.
134 miles in a versa will take about 4.2 gallons and cost $18.90 or $0.14/mile.
* all numbers are approximations, and YMMV
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Gnafu the Great
Ars Centurion
Move to Wisconsin where electricity is closer to 10¢/kWh and the math works out even better for EVs!EVs are cheaper to maintain, and are more efficient than their gas counterparts.
MPGe is based on the assumption of 33.7 KWh/gallon of gasoline. reference
my leaf gets around 3.5-4 miles per KWh of real world driving. $4.50 gets me a gallon of gas. $0.45 gets me a KWh from the murderous PG&E corporation.
the nissan versa is probably the closes comparable ice car to the leaf. per fuelly the versa (for the same year as my leaf) averages 32.2 MPG of real world driving.
33.7 KWh will move my leaf 134 miles and costs around $15 or $0.11/mile.
134 miles in a versa will take about 4.2 gallons and cost $18.90 or $0.14/mile.
* all numbers are approximations, and YMMV
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Basically $5k at this point gets you some of the low end/very early EVs while $10k can scrape the bottom of the 100+ mile EV options.
Or for $10k you can probably get a fully optioned and well maintained first gen LEAF, i3 or 500e with reliable 40-50 mile range.
In a couple years the 50 mile cars will probably be $2-3k and $10k will get you better options in the 100+ mile range.
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I bought a used 2013 Leaf for $2K this year in the US Southwest, and it's been great for infrequent use when a bicycle isn't enough: social occasions, groceries. I am wary of the range, though. The car claims ~45 miles, but it feels more like 30 in practice, and I don't want to risk running it all the way down to know for sure.
Does the passively cooled battery degradation mean that using it in the heat (it gets to 120F here in the summer) would be worth avoiding?
Does the passively cooled battery degradation mean that using it in the heat (it gets to 120F here in the summer) would be worth avoiding?
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This study was published earlier this week, and while it deals with much newer (3-year old cars) it finds that they are much cheaper to run.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae38f8#erlae38f8s3-4
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ColdWetDog
Ars Legatus Legionis
That's great until you try to bring it to the DMV and realize that it isn't street legal in the US. Yes, the US is backwards in terms of mini and micro mobility. What a surprise. But you just won't find these on the streets of America, especially at anywhere near that price.
I guess it does fit with the 'I'd like a pony" meme (some of the models have pony adjacent naming).
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While I'd agree it doesn't make sense to rely on DCFC for any of the EVs you could get under even $10k, it's not impossible to leverage "fast" charging occasionally. Anecdotally, I recently saw a first gen i3 charging next to a second gen Bolt and both were pulling 32kW. (The i3 was at 56% while the Bolt was at 65%.)
It was pretty funny to see a 12 year old car charging at ~2C next to a 3 year old car at ~0.5C
It was pretty funny to see a 12 year old car charging at ~2C next to a 3 year old car at ~0.5C
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My 2015 Fiat 500e gave me flawless performance until the day it was smacked and totaled at 141K miles. They're bloody reliable, as I have the CarFax to prove it never went in for any repairs or anything. Those first generation Samsung batteries were still showing under 10% reduction in capacity...I would hook regularly to the OBD port and look at it.
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TLDR: A larger battery Leaf would work, but they are either less common, or a few thousand more than $5k
I found a Nissan Leaf specific showed similar range degradation. So you would need a model Leaf that is still getting say around 70 miles in ideal to be "safe" to get 35 mile in -4F
So basically you can't buy the 24kWH battery variant (which are selling for like $3-4k). There are a few slightly newer (10 years old instead of 15 years old) 30kwh variants that meet that criteria and are still in the $5k range, but that are less common. The 40-62kWh variants work... but they appear to be most the $6-8k range.
According to Recurrent, for EV in general get around 70% at 20F, 80% at 32F and provide a chart of range by temperature for a Model 3
I found a Nissan Leaf specific showed similar range degradation. So you would need a model Leaf that is still getting say around 70 miles in ideal to be "safe" to get 35 mile in -4F
So basically you can't buy the 24kWH battery variant (which are selling for like $3-4k). There are a few slightly newer (10 years old instead of 15 years old) 30kwh variants that meet that criteria and are still in the $5k range, but that are less common. The 40-62kWh variants work... but they appear to be most the $6-8k range.
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Under no circumstances would I consider a Leaf with its un-water cooled battery. I have no words for how cheap of a move that was on Nissan's part. All of the other cheap EV's from that era were water cooled. The Spark EV, the Fiat 500, and others.
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Is the car parked outside or in a relatively cool garage? If you are parking it outside of your home. If anything I think driving it around might cool it a bit as while the air is like 120F, the car might be like 140F from baking in the sun. If you are parked inside, maybe - but it is just a short errand the battery won't heat up that much in an hour (the degradation happens when the battery is kept at a high temperature for extended periods of time, not for like an hour or two).
I mean you only paid $2k for a 13 year old car. I would just try to get the most utility out of your cost as possible at that point.
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What your take on Nissan surviving as a company ?This study was published earlier this week, and while it deals with much newer (3-year old cars) it finds that they are much cheaper to run.
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ae38f8#erlae38f8s3-4
You could keep a Leaf running with some aftermarket parts but getting others might prove to be an issue
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How do you think the cars got to Florida ,Texas, California when they were originally delivered? Do you think that they drove there from the factory?
Car carrier companies are a thing.
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Yeah, I don't doubt that most days it would be fine, I would hate to be on the edge during those cold days. Last week we were -25*, but it was up to -17* when I left for work. Brrrr. Don't want to be stranded in that weather. I think I would spend a little more $$ for peace of mind. Plus, I ride the motorcycle in warm weather to make the commute more enjoyable. Though the riding gear does get pretty warm in the afternoon temps on the way home.TLDR: A larger battery Leaf would work, but they are either less common, or a few thousand more than $5k
According to Recurrent, for EV in general get around 70% at 20F, 80% at 32F and provide a chart of range by temperature for a Model 3
I found a Nissan Leaf specific showed similar range degradation. So you would need a model Leaf that is still getting say around 70 miles in ideal to be "safe" to get 35 mile in -4F
So basically you can't buy the 24kWH battery variant (which are selling for like $3-4k). There are a few slightly newer (10 years old instead of 15 years old) 30kwh variants that meet that criteria and are still in the $5k range, but that are less common. The 40-62kWh variants work... but they appear to be most the $6-8k range.
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I'm not sure how well those would sell in the US if they were actually available. It's absolutely tiny. You either have the back seat or trunk space but not both. With the back seats up you've got single cab behind the seats type space. They also have very limited range to start with so you'd definitely be cross shopping with things like these cars. Cars of that class have really never sold well in the US just in general.
They probably don't meet US safety requirements anyway even without tariffs or other trade issue. It probably fits with lesser Kei car safety standards or some Chinese equivalent. The US doesn't have an equivalent small car safety standard and the closest you get is the trikes that don't have to meet full US safety standards.
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That can add up though too. It was $1500 to get out 911 shipped 1600 miles.
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problem with dirt cheap EVs is that when you drive up to any mechanic they run away. if you find a garage that will work on them then fantastic. even shit like brakes and tires I've been turned away from
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or if we're talking financing you can grab a 23 bolt for about 15-16k now and just not worry at all
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I would not recommend that in Phoenix. OTOH, when you said "town", you probaby did not have Phoenix in mind. Fair enough.
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Going to completely opposite direction that this article on budget EVs... I recently saw video of a 911 EV conversion with 62kW battery back for 260 miles range and 250 hp with 100kW DC charging. Frontdash replaced the tachometer with an Power usage/regen, battery SoC, battery/motor temp dials
Price is too much if you have to ask, but they are actually functional as a daily driver.
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I have a 500e. I love it, it is a great city car. If you take a look at the boring.cars Instagram, you might just happen to see mine parked outside, buried under a foot of snow.
Does it love the cold weather? No, not really. Does it want to do 70mph? It will, but it would prefer 55 or below. Does it get me from A to B for pennies? Yes. Could I use it as my only car? Absolutely not.
This car is so good if you're doing a 40-80 mile round trip, and the one thing that would make it better is more robust charging infrastructure. My wife works for a $150B company and they have 0 electric car chargers in their parking lot. $5000 compliance cars like the 500e would be so much better if she could drive to work with the heat on full blast and her foot mashed to the floor, because she'd have the security of a practically full battery pack after her 8 hour shift, even from a 120v charger. Unfortunately, options are still very limited for parking lot charging, and it really detracts from the viability of small electric runabouts like the 500e, or David Tracy's Leaf that someone in another comment mentioned.
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Why no tires?!?
You'll probably change the brakes are most once in the lifetime of the car. My cousin has a 2013 EV with 160k miles and still hasn't needed to changed the brakes (to be fair we live in an area that doesn't use salt on roads in order to protect rivers/lakes so there is no salt corrosion).
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Ours was a longhood like the one on the right but in alpine white. Ours had a sunroof though. We sold it to pay for our daughters surgery and it was the 911 or the Cobra. The Cobra is similar weight but has 350 more ponies and much stickier tires and no propensity to go backwards if you lift to abruptly in a corner but two less seats.
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Its more space than my ebike, which I use to carry my daughter AND get groceries at the same time. Ebikes are also selling just as fast or faster than electric cars.
These types of cars never did well in the US because they cost the same as a larger car, so there was little reason to buy one.
right, US regulations are a mess and need major reform.
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Ah, my 500e is limited to 88 mph. It does a great job of accelerating to that, and then suddenly it kicks in, and you lurch forward a little. It will absolutely hold that for many minutes on end, but the cost to range is excessive, as it would be in a gas car.
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My perspective is obviously going to be different but we own our house and have bought sub $5000 EVs* twice. Sure. Home owners are generally going to be higher income and may be able to afford more expensive cars or leasing new vehicles but that doesn't mean they have to do those things or can't buy a cheap used car to save money. The reality is also changing that you don't need to be a home owner to have access to charging anymore. In many states it's possible to install L2 charging in a rental home. Apartments are adding charging options, again probably higher end units to start but they will work down over time. Companies have charging options in their parking lots now.
Obviously this is going to be transportation for the masses because there weren't enough EVs made for that to be the case. I see this article as more of a "Hey think about this possibility. If the situation is right can be a good option for you." It definitely isn't going to be the right option for a lot of people but like you said that's probably a good thing or the price would be going up on these cars.
*Rebates included which for the second one means fed and state which took quite a bit off but we wouldn't have done the purchase without the rebates.
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This is why Nissan is in trouble. They cheap out on design and execution. There was and is no excuse for an air-cooled battery in an EV. None.
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I spent a fair bit more (they're newer), but got a 2019 Honda Clarity Touring PHEV in mint condition. For me, it's the best of all worlds.
90% of the time, I'm on battery (daily commute, minor errands. Charges off a standard outlet, and gets to full overnight. Comfortable. Drives well in winter. And if I need more range, I have it without waiting to charge. I'm thinking about L2 charging options as well since it supports them, but L1 has been good for my needs.
I wanted a Bolt EUV and thought about it for a bit, but I like what I've got, and hope to have it for some time to come.
90% of the time, I'm on battery (daily commute, minor errands. Charges off a standard outlet, and gets to full overnight. Comfortable. Drives well in winter. And if I need more range, I have it without waiting to charge. I'm thinking about L2 charging options as well since it supports them, but L1 has been good for my needs.
I wanted a Bolt EUV and thought about it for a bit, but I like what I've got, and hope to have it for some time to come.
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Yeah, it'll do above 70 but you get to watch the battery percentage drop faster than the mile markers increase.
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Having gone to more than a few Earth Day events or strictly EV public showcasing events, I've found that people who own those really, really like them. The motor and drive electronics are Bosch. They're very well built. But right now, the newest model year is going on being 8 years old. I think there's a lot of newer, more up to date stuff available, likely with less miles and wear and tear. Why buy a really old car when you get get a newer one? Talking 1st gen.
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