Some EVs are built with a higher-voltage electrical system. That can make fast charging easier and sometimes faster, as long as the charging station can provide the right kind of power.
“Depreciated” just means the car’s value has gone down since it was new. That can be good for buyers because you may pay less than you would for a brand-new version.
The Lucid Air is an all-electric sedan made by Lucid. It’s one of the brand’s main models, and it often comes up when people talk about EV deals or long-range EVs.
Lucid Motors is the company that makes Lucid electric cars. The host is saying Evercars has a partnership with them, so some cars may be bought directly from the manufacturer.
This is a weekly segment where they choose an EV deal that matches certain rules, like a budget and low mileage. The goal is to make it easier to find a good used EV quickly.
This is a specific Dodge Charger trim (the “RT”) from 2025. The host is talking about it like an EV deal and compares it using things like how fast it accelerates, how big the battery is, how far it can go, and how quickly it can charge.
That’s how fast the car can charge at a fast charger, measured in kilowatts. In general, higher numbers can mean quicker charging, but it can slow down as the battery gets fuller.
This is how long it takes to charge the battery from 20% up to 80%. Charging is typically faster in the middle, so this is a common way to compare real-world fast-charging usefulness.
A tax credit is money the government can take off your taxes for buying certain EVs. The host is saying it doesn’t help the way they want it to for lease deals in this situation.
MSRP is the “official” price listed by the manufacturer on the car’s sticker. The host is saying the deal is so big that the selling price is roughly half of that sticker number.
Junk fees are extra charges a dealer tacks on that don’t really help the car. The host is warning to watch for them and ask what they’re for before you sign.
“Low jack” is a theft-recovery/tracking add-on that can be installed on a car. The host is saying dealers may try to charge you for it even if you don’t want it.
An invoice is the paperwork that shows the dealer’s actual cost and how the deal is built. The host suggests asking for it so you can see what’s being added on.
“Bricked” means the car stops working properly in a way that makes it unusable. The host is warning that their EV failed so badly that it couldn’t be driven normally.
A “lemon” is a vehicle that repeatedly fails to meet quality/safety standards after attempts to repair it, leading to legal remedies under a lemon law. The host says their Charger was declared a lemon and that they received a buyback as a result.
A buyback is when the company takes the car back and pays you for it. The host says that happened to them after their car was declared a lemon.
Term
six packs
“Six packs” is used here as dealer shorthand for a specific inventory/ordering strategy (likely referring to how many cars they’re moving or stocking in a batch). It’s not a standard automotive component term in this context, so it’s best understood as a sales/inventory phrase.
A factory warranty is the official warranty from the car maker. The host is saying you should want the full coverage, especially if you’re worried the car could have problems.
A powertrain warranty covers the biggest, most expensive moving parts of the car. The host is saying that if something goes wrong and triggers a warning, you want it to be covered by this warranty so you’re not paying out of pocket.
That phrase refers to a scary red warning light on the dashboard (a wrench symbol). It usually means the car thinks something important is wrong, and the host is saying you want warranty coverage in case it happens.
“Software was super slow” means the car’s screen and apps don’t respond quickly. That can make navigation, media, and settings feel annoying day to day.
Infotainment is the car’s main screen and electronics for things like music, navigation, and phone features. If it’s “not great,” it can feel slow or frustrating to operate.
Uconnect is the name of the car’s infotainment system—basically the touchscreen and app features. The host is saying it can be slow and not very user-friendly.
Stalantis is a car company (likely Stellantis) that makes multiple brands. Here it’s mentioned while talking about the car’s audio and software experience.
The Chevy Bolt EV is an electric car that’s popular for everyday driving. Here, the key issue is that its fast-charging speed isn’t quick enough for the longer, more frequent road trips the driver now needs.
DC fast charging is a quicker way to recharge an EV at a special charger. It’s the kind of charging you use for road trips because it can add charge much faster than home charging.
It’s how the car’s battery and charging system are wired electrically. Higher voltage can let the charger deliver more power faster, so you spend less time charging on road trips.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an electric SUV. This is the SEL version, and for 2024 Hyundai removed a bunch of comfort features compared with the 2023 SEL—so the “same trim name” doesn’t mean the same equipment.
Term
limited Ioniq 5s
“Limited” is a trim level on the Hyundai Ioniq 5. It usually means the car includes more features than the cheaper versions.
The Kia EV6 is an electric SUV. The “Wind” trim is a mid-level version that, according to the host, often comes with more comfort tech than the Ioniq 5 SEL—like a premium sound system and seats that help keep you cooler.
Ventilated front seats use small fans to move air through the seat cushions. This helps reduce heat buildup in warm weather and can make long drives more comfortable.
Meridian is a company that makes high-end car audio. If your EV6 has a Meridian sound system, it usually means the speakers and tuning are better than the basic setup.
The Tesla Model Y is an all-electric SUV. It’s popular partly because the back seats and cargo area feel bigger than you might expect for its size. People talk about it a lot because it’s practical, and they also mention any drawbacks they’ve noticed.
The Tesla Model 3 is an electric car. In this segment, it’s mentioned just to compare space—specifically, the host says the Ioniq 6 has more room in the back seats.
Dampers are shock absorbers that control how the car moves over bumps. If they’re stiffer, the car feels more “sporty,” but the ride can be a bit less smooth.
Battery preconditioning is when the car gets the battery ready before you plug in to charge. This helps the battery charge faster and more reliably, especially when it’s cold outside.
“No accident history” means the car’s record doesn’t show reported crash damage. That matters because repairs from accidents can sometimes create hidden problems later.
The Chevy Volt is a plug-in hybrid. You can run it on electricity, but it also has a gas engine to help you go farther—so it’s different from a fully electric car.
EPA range is the official estimate of how far an electric car can go on one charge, based on standardized testing. Your real range may be a bit different depending on weather and how you drive.
Fast charging means using a high-power charger to add a lot of battery in less time. The car usually charges fastest when the battery isn’t near full yet.
That phrase is about how quickly the car can add charge on a fast charger. It’s usually fastest from low to around 80%, and then it slows down as the battery gets fuller.
The Audi e-tron is Audi’s early-generation battery-electric SUV, and the “Prestige” trim is a higher equipment level. This segment focuses on a 2019 example with 68,000 miles and a key concern: whether the expensive-to-repair parts and the end of the bumper-to-bumper warranty make a cheap used one a risky buy.
A bumper-to-bumper warranty is the factory coverage that pays for most repairs for a limited time. If it’s expired, you’ll usually have to pay for problems yourself, which can get expensive on luxury cars.
“Rolling the dice” means taking a chance that the deal won’t turn into expensive problems later. In this case, it’s about buying a used luxury EV that’s cheap now but could cost more if something breaks.
This means the cooling fluid meant to keep the motor at the right temperature can sometimes leak into the motor itself. If that happens, it can cause trouble later, so the car should be checked and serviced if needed.
A “dealer” is the official service shop for that car brand. The host suggests using an Audi dealer for this specific check because it may be harder to do yourself.
A “clean title” means the car’s paperwork doesn’t indicate it was totaled or rebuilt after major damage. The host is saying to only consider cars with clean paperwork when shopping used.
Air suspension is a suspension system that uses air instead of metal springs. It can make the ride feel softer and more controlled, but it’s more complicated than a basic setup.
“400 volt” is the electrical voltage system inside the EV. Higher voltage can help the car charge faster, and this is part of why the host is talking about charging speed.
Peak charge rate is the fastest power the car can take from a fast charger. If the car can keep that high speed for a while, you get more range added in less time.
Term
95 kilowatt
This is the size of the car’s battery—how much energy it can store. Bigger battery usually means you can drive farther, but it can also change how the car charges.
CPO means Certified Pre-Owned. It’s a used car that’s been checked by the dealer and usually comes with extra protection compared to buying a random used car.
An extended warranty is extra coverage purchased beyond the original factory warranty period. For used EVs, it can matter because repairs to major components can be expensive, and coverage can reduce out-of-pocket risk.
The Audi e-tron S is a faster, sportier electric SUV than the regular e-tron. It uses multiple electric motors, and it can help steer the car by changing how much power goes to the rear wheels.
Tri-motor means the electric vehicle has three electric motors working together. More motors can help the car accelerate harder and manage power to the wheels more precisely.
Torque vectoring is when the car can change how much power it sends to different wheels. That helps the car turn more smoothly and grip better, especially when you’re accelerating out of a corner.
This is a 2011 Ford F-150 with an EcoBoost turbo engine. The host is using it as an example of a work truck that’s getting worn out and costing more to run.
The Ford F-150 Lightning is the electric F-150 pickup. The key issue discussed is that the standard battery may not have enough range for long towing trips.
Standard range means the EV has the smaller battery. Smaller batteries usually go fewer miles on a full charge, which can be a problem for long towing trips.
The Rivian R1T is an electric pickup designed for adventure and rough roads. The question here is whether it’s a better choice than the Ford Lightning for towing and range.
“Extended range” means the truck has a bigger battery so it can drive farther on a single charge. The host is saying that version gets you much more range than the basic setup.
A “work truck spec” is a more basic version of a truck meant for getting the job done cheaply. The host is saying it often has simpler seats and fewer features than the nicer trims.
The Chevrolet Silverado is a big pickup truck. A “work truck” version is meant for practical, everyday use—less fancy, more durable—so it’s being compared here to an EV for towing and utility.
A “frunk” is storage space in the front of the car. Because EVs don’t have a normal engine in the front, there’s room there for things like groceries or tools.
An “EV platform” is the basic design that multiple electric cars can share. If it’s “universal,” it means the company plans to use the same core setup for several different EV models.
Resale value is how much your car is worth after you’ve owned it for a while. If resale values stay high, it usually means the used market is still paying good money for that model.
They’re talking about the truck’s price being around the middle of the $30,000s. Their point is that this price makes it a good deal compared with what similar used trucks cost.
LIVE
Today, we'll recommend an EV for viewers looking for an 800 volt EV under $30,000,
a highly depreciated German EV, and an electric pickup truck with good range.
Welcome to Battery Bargains, where we shortcut your search for the perfect EV.
This is episode number 56. I'm Dominic Ioni. Joining me today is Andrew Lambrecht from Evercars.
Hey Andrew, good to see you. This is your Dominic.
All right. Hey real quick, give us the elevator explanation of whatever cars is and what it does.
Sure. Yeah. Evercars, we are currently the largest EV store in America. You can think of us as
a more advanced, at least in terms of our operations, car on our car max, and we sell
only electric cars. No plug-in hybrids, no regular hybrids. Our entire inventory is all electric
vehicles. We have some efforts for launching on the media side with our YouTube channel,
and we have several hundred cars currently in inventory. We have two locations right now,
San Francisco, and Costa Mesa, California, and you probably, if you scroll through the listings,
you'll see the little locations underneath them. And yeah, we're the place to go if you're looking
for an electric vehicle. Right. Looks great. I'm looking at the site right now. We have it up on
the screen. Nice clean showroom where you take the pictures. That's always like a really good start.
But yeah, interesting selection of cars. I see some Acura's. Volvo's Lucid Air for
43.5. That's great. Awesome. Yeah. So you've been doing that for a while. Things are going well,
I guess. Yep. Things are going well. We have a lot of stuff on the horizon. We have a partnership
with Lucid Motors. So if you see some more Lucids for sale, a lot of those were purchased directly
from Lucid. Oh, cool. That's pretty awesome. All right. So let's get into our viewer emails
in a sec. But first, I wanted to share with you and our viewers out there our deal of the week.
So this segment may evolve further, but I thought we'd put some limits on the mileage, price,
and model year. So to achieve the deal of the week status, I think a car should be under $30,000,
have less than 30,000 miles, and be no more than three years old. So there should be still
plenty of warranty or some warranty left depending on what warranty you get with it new.
So this week's car may not be the best EV or have the fastest software, but some may appreciate
its good looks and high power. So I present to you a new 2025 Dodge Charger RT. And let me bring
it up on the screen for you all to see. So we're talking, there's a thousand miles on this thing,
and it's probably used as a demonstrator. But yeah, with the MSRP, including Destination,
brand new, was $59,990. And this one is now available for $30,000, which is kind of ridiculous.
$30,000. We're in a Hall Beach Gardens, Florida for this dealership. And it comes in this
after dark color, which is like a deep metallic blue, which I don't know if you can see on these
pictures, but it kind of changes color a bit. It's like a chameleon, I'm sure that costs money on
top of the regular MSRP. So yeah, so it's not the fastest charger they sold, but we're talking
zero to 60 in 4.7 seconds. It's got the 93.9 kilowatt hour usable battery and just over 308
miles of EPA range when it's equipped with the smallest stock tires. I'm not sure what those
tires are, but so it charges at a high of 183 kilowatts. It's kind of mediocre for 2026 and
can add 20 to 40, 20 to 80 percent charge in 24 minutes, which is okay. So Andrew, so you have
thoughts and feelings about the Dodge Charger. You have some history with this car.
So tell me why I'm wrong to make this the first deal of the week, because it looks like a deal to
me. Oh, I think it's a deal, and I would definitely consider one. So I guess a little history with
my Dodge Charger Daytona experience. So I least won for a really good rate. It was like $133 a
month. It was great. That's with the down payment, crazy and California taxes. So whenever I
told people, I'm like, oh, I leased this car for $133 a month, they're like, oh, well, how much was
the down payment? I'm like, no, I just paid the entire lease up front and it came out to $133 a
month with taxes. So there were some crazy leases. Unfortunately, you can't get them anymore,
because we don't have the tax credit in these dealer discounts. They just don't work on leases.
So if you are getting a Dodge Charger nowadays, you got to buy it. You're not going to get a good
lease deal. Your lease deal is probably going to be 900 plus a month. You're not getting a
lease deal nowadays. But if you are looking at buying one, dealers are doing massive discounts
on these cars. This is an example. The discounts are insane right now, literally talking half off
MSRP, because this car was roughly $61,590 brand new. That was the base price for the 2025 RT.
So if you can get it for $30,000, you're getting it for half off MSRP. The one thing I will say is
that Dodge dealers are notorious for adding on just crap fees. That just happens. I got my good
deal on the Dodge Charger because I knew the dealership personally. I had a connection there
that helped me get the deal and not deal with those fees. If you are going to a regular Dodge
dealership, expect that they're going to try to add on the low jack, all that other stupid stuff that
is just a bunch of junk fees. And this one is interesting because it says the breakdown of
the fees. But knowing it's in Florida, I just have a gut feeling that there are still more
things that might be on there. Not sure. So I'd say just ask the dealer for an invoice.
But yeah, these deals are getting pretty good. At least my experience with the Dodge Charger,
it's a really cool car. It's fun to drive. It gets a lot of attention. It's a great car on paper
and in practice when it's working. And I drove mine for under a thousand miles before it bricked.
And I bought it. Oh, sorry. When I started the lease, it was in service and I didn't get it until
roughly 115 days into that lease period. So these things are not reliable. They have lots of issues.
My case is not one off. It's not like I just got stuck with a bad one. So many people have had bad
ones. So be prepared. Like this is a car that might brick when you're driving on the highway.
Like you just got to be ready. That's not something you want to deal with. Then don't get this car.
So yeah, it's a problematic vehicle, but it is a lot of fun. And if you have like another car
or something like that, then I think this thing can definitely be a lot of fun.
So I think there's a lot of rambling. But if you're interested in a fun EV, I think you'll have a
lot of fun with this. And especially at like around 30,000, I think it's definitely a worthwhile
consideration. And I was actually looking because since mine got lemon, I got a buyback on mine.
I was thinking I'm like, oh, these new prices are coming down. Maybe I should consider one.
So I was reaching out to some dealers and I got some like relatively good, like some of these
dealers weren't even adding on a ton of crap fees on these chargers because I think they're so
desperate to get rid of them. They're like, this thing has been on the lot for a year and a half.
Just please take it someone. They've discontinued the RT2, right?
Yes, the RTs discontinued that specific trim. They're not stocking a lot of the new fully
electrics at the dealership anymore, as well as the Daytonas. So they're doing a lot more
six packs. So yeah, it's really interesting. There's some great deals out there. And like
in California, where we have just exorbitant car taxes, I reached out to a dealer in Florida,
or sorry, Texas. It was a really nice spec. It was an orange with the larger black wheels,
like the gone metal color, looked really cool. And all in, I was looking at like $40,000 with
their crazy shipping rates. With taxes, every single fee added on for a new 2025 Dodge Charger.
That was like $64,000 brand new. And you want it new too. You want the full
factory warranty on this because like you said, things can go wrong.
Do not buy a used one. If you are buying a Dodge Charger, do not buy a used one because
you want, depending on the state, you have about that two year lemon law period. So
you buy the car and then you get that two years. Because like I said, it's not,
I know one person with a good Dodge Charger experience, everyone else has had severe issues.
So just like you need that warranty because you don't want the, and you have a three year,
So luckily, if there is something like the some issue, it's a red wrench of death that pops up.
And if that pops up in the gauge cluster, which I've seen multiple times in mine,
if that pops up, hopefully that will fall underneath that powertrain warranty. So at
least you got some more time. But you don't want to buy this car used like two years old,
and then have it go into service for 100 days. And then you're just like stuck without a car.
You can't limit it. You can't do anything. So yeah, it's great car. Just like know that.
Is it mostly, is it mostly a software issue? That's a deal. I know when I got it,
so I never drove the thing, but I got it in one and played with it. And I just found the
software was super slow. Maybe they fixed that. I don't know. Yeah, I think the software is
definitely an issue. They have tons of software issues with the cars. I know that for sure.
The Uconnect system in there for the infotainment you were probably playing around with that one is
like just not a great infotainment system. So the saw, I mean, yeah, Stalantis is 10 speakers.
Yes. Yeah, the sound system is great. The bass sound system is really good.
Nice. So. All right. Yeah. All right. That's probably enough. I thought it was charged for one
episode. But yeah, so let's, I guess, pull up some emails and find these folks that are next
favorite car. So our first email comes to us from Marcus in Atlanta, and he writes,
I've been driving a 2019 Chevy Bolt EV for the last three years. It's been an absolute rock
for my daily commute, but my job just changed. And now I'm driving 250 miles round trip twice a week.
The slow DC fast charge of the bolt isn't taken entirely too long. And I just can't sit at chargers
for an hour anymore. So I want to step up something with true 800 volt architecture for fast highway
stops. But I want to buy used and keep my budget strictly under 30,000. I know you talk a lot about
buying right in this market. Should I be looking at an early Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6? Or is there a
sleeper option on the used market? That's a great highway cruiser that I'm overlooking. Best Marcus.
So do you want to take a stab at that?
All right. Best used EVs with an 800 volt architecture for under 30 grand. I got a few choices. So
naturally, one would go to the Ioniq 5, which makes a lot of sense. But there's something that's
really interesting. So if you look at the affordable Ioniq 5, don't get me wrong,
they're actually a little more on the affordable side compared to some of the other ones, like the
Ioniq 5s on the road compared to EV6. In fact, last year, Hyundai outsold the,
or sorry, the Ioniq 5 outsold the Kia EV6 roughly 3.6 to 1. So way more Ioniq 5s on the road,
way more lease returns coming in. And they have done pretty good lease deals all throughout the
year. So there's a very, very, very steady supply of Ioniq 5s on the market, particularly the SEL
trim. But the interesting thing is for the 2024 model year, the SEL trim has been massively
downgraded compared to the 2023 Ioniq 5 SEL. So if you get a 2024 Ioniq 5 SEL, you don't get rear
AC vents, you don't get ambient lighting, you get cloth seats, and a few other things. You don't
even get a rear center console. So like the armrest in the rear seats, you don't even get that.
So the Ioniq 5, the affordable ones, are a little downgraded. You can also probably,
you can easily find limited Ioniq 5s for under $30,000. And I think that's a very nice car because
you have those, the front seats that can fully recline back. It's a really nice car. Now,
if you're also looking more around that $25,000 mark, I'd recommend the Kia EV6 Wind,
because the Kia EV6 Wind has a lot more features than the Ioniq 5 SEL. So on the EV6,
you get a meridian sound system, and you also get ventilated front seats. So it's a little more
premium in there. Yeah, that's good information, man. I never realized that. Yeah, so it's really
interesting because you think like, oh, Ioniq 5 SEL and Kia EV6 Wind, like they're both the
mid-level trims. You'd think that they'd be kind of similar in options, but they're actually not.
So that's interesting. But the Ioniq 5 SEL does have a heated steering wheel. So if you like that,
then you might lean more towards the Ioniq 5. Now, the final car is the Hyundai Ioniq 6,
which is the long sedan. That car, I really like. It has super spacious back seats, way more spacious
than the Tesla Model 3. A ton of space on the interior. Downside is, you only get 11.3 cubic
feet in the trunk. So it's a very small trunk on that car. So if you do want something with more
space, then go with the EV6 or Ioniq 5. But they're all really great cars, and it just really depends
on what you want. But in terms of ease of accessibility to find, Ioniq 5, those are the
most easiest cars to find. There's so many on the market. The EV6, I think, is a great option too.
It just drives a little sportier. So the dampers on there are a little bit stiffer.
And then the Ioniq 6 is just the sedan. So if you're fine with a little less space,
but you prefer that sedan vibe, then go with the Ioniq 6.
Right. The Ioniq 6 has a particular look to it, too. Some people may or may not like it.
I think that's kind of why it's been selling as slow as it has. And they've actually
discontinued selling it in the US now, just more recently. You can still get the N version,
like the super performance version. But you can't get the nice highway cruiser version is gone.
So you mentioned about 23 to 24, losing some things. But it also gained, did it not,
and correct me if I'm wrong, preconditioning in that?
I'm honestly not too sure about preconditioning. Maybe it did. But at least in terms of the raw
features, at least for me, it's like you'd think the SCL was a little more premium, but you're
kind of like rear AC vents. You like that rear center console. You like the leather as opposed
to cloth seats. So I feel like that might be a slightly larger decision factor for a lot of
people. But if it does have the battery preconditioning, that's something definitely to consider.
Right. So before I answer this question, I just want to mention that I search for cars.
Always when I search for cars on these things, I search for no accident history,
an exclean title. And I also kept my searches at 20,000 miles. So remember, you can probably
find better prices. I'll show you here, but they'll have more miles. So let me know in the
comments if you think 20,000 miles is too low. So yeah, stepping into a Hyundai IONIQ 5 or Kia EV6
from a Chevy Volt is a pretty nice upgrade. So I found they used 2024 Hyundai. That's 2024. So
maybe cloth seats, I should look that up. Actually, yeah, let's take a look. That's something to look
for. Maybe you can get optional better seats, I'm not sure. But yeah, 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5,
$24,295, only 11,692 miles. So it's pretty much a new car, 2024. Lots of warranty on it.
It's got all the fast charging things. Yeah, it's the SCL, so it has big battery with 303 miles of
EPA range. So you should be able to do that round trip, your 250 miles round trip without stopping
to charge. But if you do have to stop, it won't take very much to charge with one of these. It's
like 10 to 80% in 18 minutes. And if you're stopping for a quick fill up, it won't take you even that
long, like 10 minutes maybe, you know? Also, yeah, it's 2024. So I'm pretty sure that means it has
preconditioning. But double check that, double check that for yourselves, of course.
Yeah. And in case markets might prefer the Kia EV6, which is basically the same powertrain
on a different model, I found I used the 2023 Kia EV6 Wind with 17,841 miles.
I'll show you that up here with you.
That is not it. Share up here with you. Here we go.
2023, yeah, EV6 Wind, $25,497, $17,841 miles. So still super low mileage and about a bit higher price.
And, you know, man, I think it's a great looking car. I really like it. And in person,
I remember seeing these things in person for the first time and I thought, oh,
you know, I look way better in person to me than I thought I did in the pictures, the original
pictures. And so I've really kind of liked them a lot. So yeah, those are just a couple of things
I would suggest. It's a great looking car. And I think one final thing is the Ioniq 5 sits
a little more upright. So the Ioniq 5 feels more like an SUV as opposed to EV6,
which feels a little more like a hatchback. And yeah, just one more buying thing to think about.
All right. So our next email comes to us from Sarah. She says, Hi guys, I'm looking for a
cheap used EV and the prices on luxury stuff right now are just crazy. There is a 2019 Audi
e-tron prestige at an independent lot near me for $21,500. It looks brand new, but it has
68,000 miles on it. So the factory bumper to bumper warranty is totally dead.
Matt's letter about the lemon key is last week got me thinking about rolling the dice.
Am I asking for trouble buying an old German luxury car just because it's cheap up front?
What usually breaks on these early e-trons besides the main battery that I should worry about?
Thanks, Sarah. Well, so the outer spec, well, first of all,
what was it? How'd she say that? Am I asking for trouble buying an old German luxury car?
A judge generally EV or not, whatever the answer that is yes,
just because parts are expensive. And I don't know if they're more, you know,
problem prone than other cars, but generally German cars have been expensive. But in the
case of the e-tron, so this is a particular, this is an interesting car because it's super nice.
But they do have like one particular issue. The outer spec renew channel with Alex had a video
titled every e-tron will fail this way. How to check motor coolant intrusion problem.
And so that's a video you can go look up on outer spec renew, and you can see exactly
what the problem is, how to see if your car has a problem, and then how to fix it and everything.
So the problem is that sometimes maybe eventually at some point coolant will leak somehow into the
motor. And the rear motor has ways that you can check on that. And this should be checked regularly.
The front motor also has, I think the rear motor has a reservoir to catch it. So you kind of can
check the reservoir, but the front motor, I think you have to pull us to seal. So I would suggest
taking it to a dealer for that, unless you are pretty competent with wrenches and all.
I would take it to a garage. So that's really like the one thing I think you need to worry about.
So I did take a look at, so I did find some e-trons out there. You can find, use e-trons
for under $17,000 on cars.com right now. This is like, I don't know, $67,000 car, right?
Well over $80,000 with options. So right, right. If you get, especially if you go like the
e-tron S, so there's a bunch of different, you know, slightly different ones.
But the best deal I could find on a, is a used, so I didn't want, those are all high miles, right?
You can get down into $16,000, whatever, or even cheaper actually, but you know, I looked through
and I make sure they haven't been in an accident and have a clean title. So
the best deal that I was comfortable with that I could find was, I'll pull this up on the screen,
was this 2021 Audi e-tron premium. And I'll just share this with you. Boom.
So it's got 23,222 miles on it, or $23,500. So it's a bit, a couple thousand more than the car you
were looking at, but it's, the mileage is still where it should be okay. You know, there shouldn't
have any problems with coolant, intrusion or whatever. And I would have it maybe inspected
at the dealership before you take delivery. That would be my suggestion if you want to go through
with the purchase of something like this, knowing that that is an issue. But yeah,
I think it's a great car for, you know, $67,000. This one I think goes $66,000, brand new. So
yeah, and they're just like solid, solid like a rock. They drive great. They're just really
comfortable cars, but they do have that one issue, right?
Yeah. And that one's in San Jose. I might get that before you, Sarah. But I think one thing
with the e-trons that I want to point out is the 2021 in newer, that's when we got the new
entry level premium trim. And that one you're looking at is a premium. And that's, unfortunately,
that one actually doesn't have a ton of features compared to the premium plus. I think the premium
plus is like the best middle ground. The prestige is really nice because you get like ambient lighting,
like the aromas in the cabin from the AC event, which is kind of cool. But the premium has,
it still has air suspension and that stuff, but you don't get ventilated seats. You don't get
the bang and all of some sound system. So those are just like a couple of things that you kind of
want on a luxury car that you don't get on the premium. But if you're just like in it because
you want a nicer driving EV, all the e-trons will drive the same. And the premium will probably
drive a little bit better than like a prestige because it has the smaller wheels.
But in terms of the driving experience, the Audi e-tron is like one of my favorite driving EVs.
Like it is just so comfortable to drive. It's such a nice vehicle behind the wheel.
But obviously it is a luxury vehicle. It was very expensive, brand new, and it's going to be just
more expensive to maintain because you got air suspension. There's just so much going on in
that powertrain. And it's probably going to end up costing more in maintenance down the road.
Right. Like a good Jiren car. This one has leather seats, memory seats. The other thing
with e-trons that we should mention too is the range. So this one has 222 miles of EPA range.
Not the biggest range. They charge pretty fast if I remember correctly.
At least the early ones did. Even though they're 400 volt. So they charge from 10 to 80 to 26
minutes. People like as a 150 kilowatt peak charge rate, which doesn't really sound that great,
but it will hold that charge rate for the majority of the charging session.
So these cars actually charge really quick. And it's a big battery too. It's a 95 kilowatt
battery. Yeah, it's not super efficient. Unfortunately, I love the e-trons. I think
they're fantastic cars. Yeah, there are worse cars you can buy. For sure. But I would definitely,
I would lean towards the CPO or getting an extended warranty on one. I just think I like,
I just don't think I could recommend like a 2019 to someone for like 17 grand,
like not knowing much about it. Like I just couldn't do that. But I, there's some really nice CPOs
out there. They are more money for sure. Like more like 25 to 30. But I even saw in Texas,
there was an e-tron S, which has the 496 horsepower tri-motor set up to get true torque
vectoring on the rear axle. Super cool. I've driven the e-tron assets. It's a lot of fun to
drive. Still heavy. It's a large vehicle, but you can get those for in the low 30s. I found one
end of dealer. Now there's like so few, there's like 10 of them on the market, but you can find some
around that price point. I saw a few. So there was a CPO in Texas for 32,000, 40,000 miles.
And it was a 2022 e-tron S, which was probably north of 90 grand brand new. So nice. Get it for
a third of the original price. Sounds good to me. All right. One more email to wrap this up.
Our final email comes to us from Dale and he writes, I watch the channel a lot,
but I've been holding out right now. I have a 2011 F 150 EcoBoost with almost 200,000 miles on the
clock. It's still okay for pulling my small trailer on the weekends, but things are starting to break
and it gets terrible gas mileage. I think my next truck will be electric, but the prices are
confusing. I see used F 150 lightnings getting down around mid 30k range right now,
but I'm worried the standard battery won't get enough range if I'm toying anything.
Should I look for an early Rivian R1T instead or are electric trucks just too expensive right now?
And I should wait. Dale. So Andrew, what do you think about that situation? I actually,
I really empathize with Dale because I think that is a really interesting spot in the market
because there really isn't a great option all around. Now, I like the standard range lightning.
I think it's a great one. But if you are towing long distances, that range could be problematic
just because already from the get go, you have 230 miles of range. So that's a little unfortunate,
but I still think that car could be doable. But I have seen lightning prices actually kind of tick
up in recent months just with gas prices being so expensive. So I remember there's a point earlier
this year when you could get pretty nice lightnings for around $28,000, $29,000, maybe higher miles,
like $50,000 to $70,000. Nice. Now, not anymore. I think gas prices going up and also losing out
on the tax credit and the lightning being discontinued. So like you have these three factors
that just really increase the use prices, which is unfortunate. And then honestly, I think this
it makes me wonder how would the lightning have performed if they just kept it in production
just a little while longer to wait for this conflict going on to see if that would have
affected sales. But yeah, there's not really like a great choice in that price range. All
them kind of do have drawbacks. The Silverado is a great car, especially if you get the extended
range or the larger battery in there, you get like 400 miles of range. But it is the work truck
spec. It's not very nice at all. You're going to get vinyl seats. You don't even have the same main
display you get in the more expensive ones. It's just not a very desirable cabin to be in.
It's just going to feel like a true work truck. And maybe you're fine with that. That'll be fine
because you have plenty of range. Rivians are still upper 40s is the lower end on Rivian R1Ts.
And I think they're great trucks, but they are definitely more expensive. So I think, yeah,
right now this that segment is not the best just because there's really no stellar choice in there,
which is a low unfortunate. Yeah, maybe a couple more years. The prices of the nicer
Silverados and things will come down even over the nicer forward lightning trims with a bigger
battery. So he says his truck now, no, that's his truck now, it's got 200,000 miles on it.
F-150 EcoBoost. He's pulling a small trailer on the weekends. I think maybe he's more worried about
the range than he should be because so if he's pulling a small trailer, he should be getting
at least 100 miles of range. So if you're not at least like maybe 150. So if that's if you're just
pulling around a trailer around town, like 50 miles or 60 miles, I would consider getting the
because you can get a pro in around 35,000. So that's the forward lightning with the 230 mile
batteries that comes with the 230 mile battery and with 296 or 303 or something. Is it the bigger
size? Yeah, it's 320. But yeah, sorry, I was assuming he was towing long distances.
But yeah, if you're towing around town, it's like, I don't think range would be any issue in the
standard range because it's 230 miles. If you're going to be going on really long road trips and
stuff, then the standard range will be more difficult. But at least for like around town
driving that the standard range should be plenty. Especially if you've got a good home charging as
well. Right. So the best deal I could find for something bigger, like you mentioned,
the Silverado work truck, if you want like a truck with vinyl seats, tough interior,
you can wash that out with a hose. It's not mid 30s. It's 42.9 is like a
there's a few that are out there that are a little cheaper. But I like this one. It had
it's still got 45,000 miles on it. And if you wanted to,
yeah, there was a they make a smaller battery version of it, you can pay like eight around
$50,000 you can get into that new. And that's like a I think that's a 286 mile battery. But this
is like a 400 450 mile battery. So you could you can do all the towing I think that you'll ever
need to do and and be fine with something like this. But it is a bit more money.
Yeah. And but I kind of like those trucks. I don't know. It's just like
they do a lot, you know, you can plug stuff into the back and plug stuff into the front.
They have a huge frunk on them. That's just a huge back seat, just a, you know, very utilitarian
vehicle. And for that price like 40 42, I think that one was not bad, you know, for pickup truck.
But again, I think another year or so prices will come down. If you want to wait just a year
and get into that price range, you can get the new Ford pickup truck that's coming out
next year in 2027 on the universal EV platform. It's going to be small. It'll be like Maverick
size, right? In there somewhere. And I don't imagine you'll be able to tow huge distances
either with that. But we're still waiting for all aspects. We don't know. We can't say exactly
how far you can tow. But I expect it should be at least over a hundred miles in a small trailer.
It shouldn't be a problem. On the regular batteries included podcast last week, we showed the
first buy shots of that truck actually in Camo. So you can see kind of an idea of how small it is.
It's like, it's like the Maverick or somewhere between the Maverick and the old Ranger, you know,
it's like a true compact kind of truck. I thought it was going to be bigger. I was kind of surprised
to see it, but, but that's a $30,000, I believe it's going to start out next year. So 30 35 probably
gets your decent package, right? Oh, 100%. And I think that is going to be a great option.
Like if we look at Maverick resale values, and we also look at Ford F-150 resale values for like the
first two years, they're probably going to really hold on to their value. And they're probably going
to be really great just vehicles to buy because like you can't even get used Mavericks like
use Mavericks are like almost as expensive as they are now or sorry, almost expensive as they were
brand new when they launched as they are now used. So it's like, right, they're very high demand vehicles.
And I think this new that at that price point in the mid $30,000 range is going to be like
that that's going to be a great buy for sure. Yeah. Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing that
truck can roll out the but from now, I think that brings us to the end of this episode.
So if you're, if you're ready for your own battery bargain, drop us an email or send us a video
with your needs and budget and we'll see what we can do for you in the next episode.
So thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you that next time. Ciao.
About this episode
Deal-of-the-week rules kick things off: an “800 volt EV under $30,000” with “less than 30,000 miles” and “no more than three years old.” The hosts then spotlight a heavily discounted 2025 Dodge Charger RT EV—while warning that lease deals can fail when “we don't have the tax credit in these dealer discounts.” The conversation pivots to reliability and risk: a listener’s cheap 2019 Audi e-tron is tempting, but the “motor coolant intrusion problem” and expired bumper-to-bumper coverage make inspection critical.
In this episode of Battery Bargains: • EV Bargain of the Week! • An 800-volt EV under $30,000 for Marcus • Considering the wisdom of Sarah buying a highly depreciated German EV • Finding an electric pickup truck with decent range for Dale
