There is no way you're going to find a Nissan Leaf without major problems for $8k, let alone a lot less than that.
the range is down "2 bars", so it's legit only a ~70 mile car, but it absorbed a ton of our city trips and did great.
Then Oregon passed a $2,500 incentive on used cars, so we sold it for $7,500 and moved up to an i3.
Our local EV used car dealer, Platt Auto in Portland, has a few 2016+ leafs for $8900, so I bet his two older ones listed at $Call could be had sub-8K.
A second electric car makes sense if you normally travel 50-100 miles a day. In this case you are leaving the other car/suv home while you go to work. Of course with this range it is starting to become reasonable to just use the electric car for everything. (When I did the math several years ago Tesla was taking about how great superchargers would be once they rolled them out)
They really are that cheap.
I don't know. Seems like there's a lot available for under $8,000. It can't be that all of them are garbage, can it?
If you are less technical, you can count some bars on the dashboard. It's less precise but it gives an idea.
I wouldn't mind buying a 7-10 years old Leaf, the battery is not new but it is good enough for short distances.
But your comments in this thread indicate that you'll just find another objection to keep that narrative supported. Fact is, you actually can buy a Leaf that doesn't have "major problems" for < $8K.
They are cheap because they are similar in performance to other entry level economy cars, and the warranty for the battery is up. If the battery fails you’re in the ballpark of 6 or 7 thousand dollar repair.
The combination of information and parts available to fix Toyota NiMH packs is a big factor in why I own a vehicle with one :)
These are electric drivetrains (simpler transmission, etc.) so there are fewer things that can go wrong relative to an ICE car. Obv range is limited with a used Leaf but that's not a problem for most city trips.