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Like your mobile phone, electric vehicle (EV) batteries deteriorate over time and are causing headaches for Kiwi buyers.
The Motor Vehicle Dispute Court recently ruled against a woman who purchased a used electric vehicle, only to find later that the battery level indicator was inaccurate, meaning her new car would run out of power long before as advertised.
It’s a trap for buyers in the electric vehicle resale market.
As impressive as the range of new model electric vehicles is, the battery life of older cars fades over time.
Michael Dodge / Getty-Images
The EV’s battery capacity gradually decreases the more it is used, such as a mobile phone.
Most new electric vehicles have warranties that guarantee the battery for a specified period of time, typically 5 to 8 years, or distance (such as 100,000 km).
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However, over time, the battery capacity gradually decreases the more it is used, such as with a mobile phone.
It means the responsibility falls squarely on the buyer when it comes to second-hand electric vehicles, which are often nearing the end or starting to have battery life issues.
The buyer in the recent court case paid $ 8,940 for his 2012 Nissan Leaf.
Upon receipt of import, he found that the car’s range indicator was broken and the car would run out of power faster than advertised.
She said the dealer misled her at the point of sale and also alleged that she was told the vehicle would be delivered with a new fitness order. Was not.
Ultimately, the court ruled that under common law (buyer beware), a plaintiff needed to show that the other party had made positive representation before they could be successful in any claim.
Silence, or the failure to reveal a fact, was not enough.
SIMON O’CONNOR / STUFF / Stuff
Most new electric vehicles have warranties that guarantee the battery for a set period of time, usually 5 to 8 years.
Ultimately, the Nissan with the dodgy battery was the buyer’s problem.
It’s a problem the Automobile Association is seeing more and more, particularly with the Nissan Leaf.
Motorsports consultant Cade Wilson said that most of the affordable electric vehicles these days are second-hand and all suffer from battery deterioration.
He also said that some people have complained about “electronic kickbacks” on imported cars, essentially dealers manipulating the charge or range meter to show a good battery.
It’s nearly impossible to verify, but mechanics are starting to get suspicious, he said.
“Like anything second-hand, there can be problems with electric vehicles,” Wilson said.
“Every car is different, but mostly electric vehicles in New Zealand have had another life. And (the battery life) depends on how the other person drove it, how it charged, etc. “
Increasingly, the road crew was receiving calls of electric vehicle breakdowns across the country.
And in Wellington, there was currently a mobile “power bank” for electric vehicles being tested in the city, with plans to roll one out in Auckland in 2021.
