More than half of potential buyers (57%) say they would never buy a used electric car without an independent check of its battery condition, according to Startline’s August Used Car Tracker which questioned 300 consumers and 60 dealers.
The survey shows 77% are worried about potential battery failure and 76% are worried about the cost of battery repair or replacement.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “With more than two million EVs now on UK roads, it’s becoming clear that early fears over battery failure have been hugely overblown. In fact, it is proving to be a fairly rare occurrence.
“Despite this, it is a possibility still clearly playing on the minds of potential electric car buyers and professional battery health checks, which are being offered by a range of companies, could play an important role in creating a sense of security.
“Our research shows that for a significant proportion of motorists, a check would be a key element in choosing to go electric, providing a high degree of reassurance about the possibility of battery failure.”
Almost a third (31%) would buy an EV without a check if it had a significant portion of its original manufacturer battery warranty remaining while 13% would be willing to buy if they felt the price of the car was low enough to offset the potential risk.
In addition, 9% say they would not need a battery health check as long as the EV came from a reputable dealer, and 7% say they do not want a battery health check at all.
Burgess said: “Most manufacturer warranties run for around eight years, so a significant proportion of people in the market for an older car might be happy to buy without a check.”
