State of health, not mileage
A battery's usable capacity relative to new is the number that matters, and it correlates only loosely with odometer readings. Two identical cars at 60,000 miles can sit five percentage points apart depending on how often they were fast-charged and how hot a climate they lived in.
Ask for a state-of-health reading from the car's own diagnostics or a third-party tool. On most platforms this is a five-minute check, and a house that has sold EVs before will know how to produce it.
What normal degradation looks like
Most modern packs lose a few percent in the first year and then settle into a slow decline, landing somewhere around 85% to 90% of original capacity at five years and typical mileage. A car materially below that curve has either been fast-charged relentlessly, run hot, or has a failing module.
Check what warranty is left
Battery warranties typically run eight years and a mileage cap, and they usually transfer to a subsequent owner — which makes a four-year-old EV a very different risk from a nine-year-old one. Confirm the in-service date rather than the model year; they often differ by months.
The rest of the car is simpler, and that helps
No oil, no timing belt, no exhaust, and brakes that last far longer because of regeneration. Tyres wear faster under the weight and torque, and suspension components work harder. Budget for tyres on almost every EV bought at auction.
From the auction floor
See how this works on a real lot.
Every listing carries its inspection report, its full specification and its bid history. Read one before you decide what it is worth to you.