Australia has been slow to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to electric cars; however they’re becoming increasingly popular with the addition of new infrastructure on Australian roads and the advancements in technology in the field. Although electric cars are known for attracting a premium price there are now a number of affordable options available on the market, including the Nissan Leaf! With even more options to come and the decreasing costs of components such as lithium-ion batteries, electric cars are set to become even more inexpensive in the future.
For those wanting to get in on the more ecologically-conscious electric car trend right now, used cars can be a huge cost saver. Let’s take a look at some of the costs involved in purchasing and owning a used Nissan Leaf in Australia and some of the reasons to consider buying a used Nissan Leaf.
Buying a used Nissan Leaf
There are many great reasons to consider buying a used electric car, especially the Nissan Leaf. One of the top reasons that many people look to buy one if because of the environment benefits, although there has been some debate (add link to mythbuster article once it’s live) in recent years, electric cars do in fact have a far smaller carbon footprint then conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and are a far more environmentally conscious choice. In addition to zero emissions, the Nissan Leaf has an interior that incorporates recycled materials such as water bottles, plastic bags, old car parts and recycled home appliances.
Another reason that many people consider purchasing a used electric car is that they involved much lower running and maintenance costs and they are far more efficient. The cost to charge an electric car is substantially lower than the cost of purchasing petrol. Maintenance costs are much more affordable because there a far less components in an electric car that require regular servicing. There are also cost savings available when it comes to registration.
Take a look at our breakdown of some of the costs involved in owning a used Nissan Leaf below:
Purchase price
One of the greatest advantage of purchasing a used electric car is that you can save a considerable amount of money, often even on models in very good condition. The cost of purchasing a new Nissan Leaf in Australia is around $49,990, whilst a used Nissan Leaf will usually run you around $38,000.
Combined with a lower upfront cost and low running costs, it’s easy to see why a used Nissan Leaf would be an attractive option for many buyers.
Registration costs
The cost to register electric cars is much lower in Australia then registering a vehicle that relies on fossil fuels, for instance based on a comparison by the Queensland government, you could expect to pay around $1,080 in vehicle registration duty for a conventional car whereas you would pay approximately $900 for an electric car like the Nissan Leaf. Additionally registration costs would be about $328.60 for an average car whilst you would only pay around $258.40 for an electric car.
In Australia a number of states offer discounts on the cost of registration for driving an electric car. In Victoria you can get a $100 discount on your registration for driving a hybrid or electric vehicle, New South Wale’s drivers can expect concessions on their motor vehicle tax for driving an electric car, whilst hybrid and electric cars in Queensland also attract lower registration costs than conventional cars and drivers in the Australian Capital Territory can get a 20% discount on their registration costs.
Insurance costs
Insurance costs can sometimes be higher for electric car drivers, but this is mostly due to the higher value of new electric vehicles and the skills gap, as they’re quite new to the Australian market. With so many Nissan servicing centres capable of servicing the Nissan Leaf and the lower cost of buying used, you can expect your insurance quote to be very reasonable. Premiums might be higher right now for electric car drivers, but that’s set to change very quickly. As the number of electric vehicle drivers rise and the number of skilled workers and infrastructure increases costs will fall.
It’s also worth noting that some insurers will provide discounts on their premiums for lower fuel emissions, such as RAC in WA.
Servicing and tyre costs
For the Nissan Leaf the servicing schedule usually requires a service every 12 months or 20,000 km’s. One of the great advantages in buying a Nissan Lead used is that the cost to service is very affordable averaging around $250-$287.
Charging costs
One of the greatest cost savings involved with driving a Nissan Leaf is the charging cost when compared to paying for fuel. For example, a Nissan Leaf consumes an average of 10kWh/100km, in WA you can expect to pay around 29 cents per kWh on Synergy’s Home Plan, which means it would cost you $2.90 to travel 100 km. With a used Nissan Leaf you could expect to get around a 200km range with a full charge which means you’ll pay around $5.80 per charge.
Compare that to the average vehicle in Australia which uses 13.4 litres of fuel per 100km – the average cost of fuel per litre in Australia is $1.20 which equals around $16.08 per 100 km’s, or $32.16 per 200 km’s.
Annual cost
Australia has been slow to jump on the bandwagon when it comes to electric cars; however they’re becoming increasingly popular with the addition of new infrastructure on Australian roads and the advancements in technology in the field. Although electric cars are known for attracting a premium price there are now a number of affordable options available on the market, including the Nissan Leaf! With even more options to come and the decreasing costs of components such as lithium-ion batteries, electric cars are set to become even more inexpensive in the future.
For those wanting to get in on the more ecologically-conscious electric car trend right now, used cars can be a huge cost saver. Let’s take a look at some of the costs involved in purchasing and owning a used Nissan Leaf in Australia and some of the reasons to consider buying a used Nissan Leaf.
Buying a used Nissan Leaf
There are many great reasons to consider buying a used electric car, especially the Nissan Leaf. One of the top reasons that many people look to buy one if because of the environment benefits, although there has been some debate (add link to mythbuster article once it’s live) in recent years, electric cars do in fact have a far smaller carbon footprint then conventional internal combustion engine vehicles and are a far more environmentally conscious choice. In addition to zero emissions, the Nissan Leaf has an interior that incorporates recycled materials such as water bottles, plastic bags, old car parts and recycled home appliances.
Another reason that many people consider purchasing a used electric car is that they involved much lower running and maintenance costs and they are far more efficient. The cost to charge an electric car is substantially lower than the cost of purchasing petrol. Maintenance costs are much more affordable because there a far less components in an electric car that require regular servicing. There are also cost savings available when it comes to registration.
Take a look at our breakdown of some of the costs involved in owning a used Nissan Leaf below:
Purchase price
One of the greatest advantage of purchasing a used electric car is that you can save a considerable amount of money, often even on models in very good condition. The cost of purchasing a new Nissan Leaf in Australia is around $49,990, whilst a used Nissan Leaf will usually run you around $38,000.
Combined with a lower upfront cost and low running costs, it’s easy to see why a used Nissan Leaf would be an attractive option for many buyers.
Registration costs
The cost to register electric cars is much lower in Australia then registering a vehicle that relies on fossil fuels, for instance based on a comparison by the Queensland government, you could expect to pay around $1,080 in vehicle registration duty for a conventional car whereas you would pay approximately $900 for an electric car like the Nissan Leaf. Additionally registration costs would be about $328.60 for an average car whilst you would only pay around $258.40 for an electric car.
In Australia a number of states offer discounts on the cost of registration for driving an electric car. In Victoria you can get a $100 discount on your registration for driving a hybrid or electric vehicle, New South Wale’s drivers can expect concessions on their motor vehicle tax for driving an electric car, whilst hybrid and electric cars in Queensland also attract lower registration costs than conventional cars and drivers in the Australian Capital Territory can get a 20% discount on their registration costs.
Insurance costs
Insurance costs can sometimes be higher for electric car drivers, but this is mostly due to the higher value of new electric vehicles and the skills gap, as they’re quite new to the Australian market. With so many Nissan servicing centres capable of servicing the Nissan Leaf and the lower cost of buying used, you can expect your insurance quote to be very reasonable. Premiums might be higher right now for electric car drivers, but that’s set to change very quickly. As the number of electric vehicle drivers rise and the number of skilled workers and infrastructure increases costs will fall.
It’s also worth noting that some insurers will provide discounts on their premiums for lower fuel emissions, such as RAC in WA.
Servicing and tyre costs
For the Nissan Leaf the servicing schedule usually requires a service every 12 months or 20,000 km’s. One of the great advantages in buying a Nissan Lead used is that the cost to service is very affordable averaging around $250-$287.
Charging costs
One of the greatest cost savings involved with driving a Nissan Leaf is the charging cost when compared to paying for fuel. For example, a Nissan Leaf consumes an average of 10kWh/100km, in WA you can expect to pay around 29 cents per kWh on Synergy’s Home Plan, which means it would cost you $2.90 to travel 100 km. With a used Nissan Leaf you could expect to get around a 200km range with a full charge which means you’ll pay around $5.80 per charge.
Compare that to the average vehicle in Australia which uses 13.4 litres of fuel per 100km – the average cost of fuel per litre in Australia is $1.20 which equals around $16.08 per 100 km’s, or $32.16 per 200 km’s.
Annual cost
So what does this all break down to annually? Well, on average Australian’s travel around 13,000 km’s a year, so factoring in servicing and registration costs, you could expect to spend around $1800 on your Nissan Leaf annually, although insurances, loans and other associated costs would raise that figure. An internal combustion vehicle will set you back around $3680 by comparison. You annual fuel savings over 13,000 km’s would be around $1713.40, a substantial saving that would mean you would quickly recoup the higher upfront cost of an electric vehicle.Read to find your own used Nissan Leaf? Check out our stocklist or get in touch with us today to find out how we could help you import a high quality Nissan Leaf!
So what does this all break down to annually? Well, on average Australian’s travel around 13,000 km’s a year, so factoring in servicing and registration costs, you could expect to spend around $1800 on your Nissan Leaf annually, although insurances, loans and other associated costs would raise that figure. An internal combustion vehicle will set you back around $3680 by comparison. You annual fuel savings over 13,000 km’s would be around $1713.40, a substantial saving that would mean you would quickly recoup the higher upfront cost of an electric vehicle.Read to find your own used Nissan Leaf? Check out our stocklist or get in touch with us today to find out how we could help you import a high quality Nissan Leaf!