Electric cars under €20,000

Under €20,000, a used electric car becomes affordable. You'll mostly find city cars and compacts a few years old, often with a smaller battery than today's models. For everyday use in and around town, that's usually plenty.

The real issue is the battery. With age and charging cycles, it loses capacity. The range quoted when the car was new isn't what you'll get today, especially in winter. Work out your longest regular trip and leave a margin.

What to check before you buy

• Battery health. The Car-Pass shows it for electric cars when the data is available. It must be under two months old: check it with the QR code.
• The battery warranty. It often runs longer than the car's own warranty. Ask how much is left.
• Charging. Cables included, socket type, and fast-charging power if you need it.
• Where you'll charge. At home, at work or at a public charging point: that's what makes electric driving easy or painful day to day.

Take a test drive of at least 20 minutes with a well-charged battery and watch how the displayed range drops. A dealer gives you one to two years of warranty. On Woto, every car has a story: ask for it.