Skip to content

Used Electric Cars Under $20,000 for Sale

Buy Online
Buy your next car 100% online through TrueCar+ with transparent pricing, no hidden fees and home delivery
Popular filters
Vehicle Condition
Brand
Nationwide
Price
Price drop
Condition

Vehicle history data is provided by Experian AutoCheck. Use of this data is subject to the AutoCheck Terms & Conditions.

Vehicle Condition
POPULAR exterior colors
Vehicle Condition
POPULAR interior colors
Body style
Features
Fuel type
Transmission
Drivetrain
Reset all
3,464 Listings
Clear all

Electric vehicles allow you to charge at home and leave the house with a full battery every morning. With the average American commute around 30 miles round trip, you’ll never have to worry about range anxiety thanks to the large batteries in modern EVs like the Tesla Model 3 (up to 300 miles of driving distance) or the Nissan Leaf (150 miles per charge in its base trim). Combine that with a growing number of public charging stations and the lower price of electric charging in comparison to filling a gas tank, buying an EV can be a smart financial decision. Driving an EV can also be fun and effortless, as EVs have instant torque from the electric motors and lower centers of gravity. Another perk of electric vehicles is their high safety ratings. EVs have often rated as some of the safest vehicles on the road thanks to a larger crumple zone and lack of an engine bay. Lastly, electric vehicles often have the best when it comes to smart car technology, with advanced driving and safety features—all of this without the smell or sound of an exhaust pipe. If you are considering buying a used EV, you’ll want to check the estimated range available. Current EV batteries will degrade naturally over time, as the amount of quick charging and full charging cycles will have an impact on usable battery capacity. Regardless, most EVs have an original warranty on their batteries that last well beyond the bumper-to-bumper coverage. For example, Nissan, Tesla, and BMW have eight-year, 100,000+ mile battery warranties. With this peace of mind, shop TrueCar’s collection of popular EVs today, including the Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Leaf, or Chevrolet Bolt.

Electric Vehicle FAQs

Environmentally friendliness of electric vehicles depends on a few factors, including how the car is produced, the components used in its construction, and the energy powering the car on a day-to-day basis. For example, some states like Washington have a significant portion of their power coming from renewable energy. Others, such as Wyoming, have very little. However, if you have solar panels used to power your car, then the carbon footprint is significantly reduced.
Most EVs charge the quickest when they are near zero battery. The rate at which the car can replenish its charge depends on the manufacturer's architecture and the type of outlet. The current fasting charging car on the marketplace today is the Porsche Taycan. Porsche claims a 0-85% charge in just 15 minutes using the fastest available charger (350kW). The Tesla family of vehicles is just below this, with the 2021 Model S claiming ~50% charge in 15 minutes using a 250kW Tesla Supercharger. On the other end, using a 120-volt regular wall outlet for any car will typically charge an EV battery with a rate of 2-3 miles per hour.
An electric vehicle (or EV) is a car that uses only electricity for propulsion. Instead of having a typical engine that relies on pistons and the combustion of a fuel source like gasoline to create energy sent through a drivetrain to move a vehicle forward, EVs used stored electricity from a large battery pack routed through electric motors that spin the wheels. There are various types of motors that use electricity differently, but the result is the same.
The cost of charging an EV depends heavily on the state you live in and whether or not you have solar panels. Using the average electricity rate in America (13 cents/kWh) and the best-selling electric car, the Tesla Model 3 with a 75 kWh battery pack would cost approximately $9.75 for a full charge. The Tesla Model 3 has an EPA-estimated range of over 350 miles and a rated 134 combined mpg. For the average consumer, this will be much cheaper than using gas.
There are free charging stations available throughout the US. Most EV charging stations can be found at hotels providing another amenity for guests or large shopping areas and parking garages next to office buildings. Several companies, including Tesla and Electrify America, offer charging stations for various fees such as pay by the hour or pay by use (per kWh).
No. Most notably, Tesla uses its own standard charger at their Supercharger locations, which are not currently accessible to any other EVs. Tesla provides its drivers with an adapter (J1172) that can be used at other, non-Tesla public charging stations, but there’s still a third type of charger, CHAdeMO, used by EVgo and Electrify America. For home charging, manufacturers provide a mobile charging cable that is rated for 120 volts or 240 volts. It’s best to check with the specific vehicle manufacturer to ensure you have the right outlet or adapter before purchasing an electric vehicle. However, more and more converters and accessories are being sold to allow EV owners access to multiple platforms.
No, most EVs do not have transmission, at least not like ones you see in traditional internal combustion engine cars. The majority of EVs have a single gear transmission, meaning once the car is put in drive, no shifts are occurring. The only current exception is the Porsche Taycan, which has two gears. This implementation is supposed to help improve performance with acceleration in track conditions.
Yes, electric cars work in cold weather, even below freezing. However, just like all batteries, the vehicles' performance will be limited until the battery pack has warmed up. The use of the HVAC system will cause a significant loss of range in cold weather. Some manufacturers, such as Tesla, are creating solutions to combat this by adding features such as a heat pump and allowing drivers to preheat their cars while still plugged in.