But many people remain uncertain about buying an EV, Case said. Range anxiety remains one of the chief concerns, he noted. And for used EVs, there’s another layer of uncertainty around ​“how the battery is holding up.”

Recurrent hopes its research can help disabuse EV buyers of that uncertainty, he said. The company has collected data from more than 50,000 EVs on the road, with more than a billion miles driven. While there’s variability between different manufacturers and EV models, that data shows that used EV batteries are holding up better than expected, he said. That finding is backed by other studies indicating that EV batteries are lasting longer than people thought they would.

These are important factors for low-income customers looking to EVs to cushion themselves from rising fuel costs, said Jason Zimbler, senior director of light-duty vehicles at clean-transportation nonprofit Calstart. ​“You’re getting a younger car, less road wear, and the battery degradation has been minimal,” he said. ​“So you’re not putting lemons in the hands of the secondary market.”

Coverage also seen in National Observer and CT News Junkie.