Five Used 100% Electric Cars Under €10,000 to Cut Your Fuel Costs

Working it out is straightforward: fuel prices are sky-high, and the daily commute isn’t getting any cheaper either. A low-cost used 100% electric car as a second vehicle could be exactly what you’re looking for - especially if your routine is built around short trips such as home to work, the school run, the supermarket and little else.

In that sort of use case, a used electric can make a lot of sense. It won’t suit everyone, that’s true, but it tackles the issue where it hurts most: the cost per kilometre.

To help you decide, we found five models on piscapisca.pt and then ran a few extra calculations. So before we get into the cars themselves, let’s compare the estimated cost per 100 km for petrol, Diesel, hybrids and 100% electric cars.

If you have somewhere to charge, the maths is fairly simple, as we show in this table. If you don’t have a place to charge, it becomes more complicated - and a small hybrid may still be hard to beat.

That’s exactly the angle we took when looking at the used market, particularly on PiscaPisca.pt, which has the largest national inventory of used cars and where you can find more than a hundred options below the psychological €10,000 barrier.

Don’t expect miracles. At this price point, range rarely impresses, charging speeds are a long way behind today’s models, and battery condition needs even closer scrutiny than the odometer reading. Even so, if you want to avoid the fuel pump without blowing your budget, there are still choices that add up.

What’s more, it can be genuinely freeing to have a car at home that’s the “do-it-all” one. A bump in the supermarket car park? Never mind. Another scuff on the bumper? Didn’t even notice. Here are the contenders.

Nissan Leaf is the most family-friendly

The Nissan Leaf was one of the early electric cars that helped bring electrification to the masses. It’s a “proper” car - meaning that, aside from being electric, it has family space, a generous boot for its class and, depending on the version, equipment levels that are well above what you usually find in this price bracket.

That’s precisely what makes it appealing on the used market. Compared with smaller, more basic or clearly city-only alternatives, the Leaf has a stronger presence and broader usefulness. If you want a second car but don’t want to give up comfort, it remains a key name to consider.

There is, however, a well-known drawback that shouldn’t be brushed aside: battery degradation. On older cars - particularly those that have spent their lives rapid charging or operating in tougher conditions - real-world range can end up well short of what was claimed when the car was new. The lack of an active battery cooling system makes itself felt.

So with the Leaf, more than bodywork condition or mileage, what really matters is understanding the battery’s health. That single factor is what separates a smart buy from a deal that only looks cheap.

Once you’ve checked that, the Leaf still stacks up as a very sensible option. It’s comfortable, impressively quiet for the money, easy to drive and spacious enough to do more than merely handle city errands.

Renault Zoe is the most sought-after

The Renault Zoe is, quite rightly, one of the most in-demand used electric cars around - and it’s easy to see why. It’s sized perfectly for town driving without feeling cramped day to day. It can carry four adults respectably, it’s light and straightforward to drive, and for years it was one of the most affordable ways into electric motoring without ending up with something overly compromised.

It also helps that there’s plenty of supply. That gives you room to be picky, compare condition properly and, crucially, steer clear of the less appealing examples. Because with the Zoe there’s a critical point you need to clarify from the outset: battery rental.

Many older cars were sold on that basis, which means the advert price can look low, but the battery then comes with a fixed monthly payment. Before you commit, you must establish whether the battery is included in the sale or still tied to a contract.

Beyond that, the Zoe has plenty going for it. The cabin is generally pleasant, mid and higher trims are often well equipped, and it’s very intuitive to live with. In short, it’s an honest electric car: it doesn’t win you over by being revolutionary, but it convinces by doing almost everything well enough. For many buyers, it will be the most balanced choice on this list.

Dacia Spring is the most rational

The Dacia Spring shows that sometimes the trick is simply not promising too much. It was never a sophisticated electric car, it never tried to disguise its limitations, and that’s exactly why it still makes sense as a used buy. The market has moved on, of course - but here we’re talking about the first versions of this model.

Small, uncomplicated and clearly aimed at urban life, the Spring stands out for one essential reason: price. It was designed to be inexpensive when new and remains one of the easiest routes into a relatively recent used electric car. If your goal is simply to replace urban journeys previously done in a combustion car with something cheaper to run, the logic here is hard to argue with.

Naturally, there are trade-offs. On open roads it reveals its lack of power, refinement is limited and build quality is far removed from pricier models. Early versions are also quite sparsely equipped. Still, you get the essentials: four seats, low running costs and dimensions that are spot-on for city streets, tight parking and quick manoeuvres.

You just need to go into Spring ownership understanding what it is. It isn’t a car for long journeys, and it won’t thrill anyone from behind the wheel. But for commuting, the school run or day-to-day tasks - without stopping at the petrol station every week - it remains a very strong proposition.

Smart ForTwo is the best in the city

Don’t have many children? Or do you normally drive alone? In that case, look no further. Few cars play the role of a second urban runabout better than the Smart ForTwo. It’s tiny on the outside, fits where almost everything else gives up, and turns parking, U-turns and narrow streets into non-issues.

In electric form, that purpose becomes even clearer. The quietness suits city life, the instant response of the electric motor helps in traffic, and the compact footprint makes it a true inner-city specialist. If you live and work in town, the Smart ForTwo still makes a great deal of sense.

Still, it’s best not to romanticise it. Range is limited and it doesn’t encourage adventures. This is a car for very specific jobs, not something you pretend can do everything. It’s for predictable daily use, short routes, and for drivers who already accept that not every car has to cover every scenario.

That focus is exactly what makes it so distinctive. The electric Smart ForTwo isn’t the most versatile car here - and it doesn’t try to be. It’s simply the most single-minded. And when the brief really is city, full stop, few do it better.

Kia e-Soul is a unicorn

The Kia e-Soul is probably the hardest to find within this price range (we only found one example available for under €10,000 on piscapisca.pt), but it’s also one of the most interesting.

Its styling won’t be to everyone’s taste, that’s true - yet behind the quirky design sits a very capable electric car, with more substance than many alternatives that appear more mainstream. Start with the sense of quality: the e-Soul feels sturdier, more mature in its construction and, overall, like a more thoroughly finished product.

Then there’s Kia’s reputation in electrification. The brand has built a strong image in this area, and that matters in the used market - particularly when the biggest concern remains battery condition. That’s where the e-Soul scores points. There tends to be greater confidence in the durability of the electric drivetrain, even on higher-mileage cars.

It’s not an absolute guarantee, of course, but it’s a model that generally inspires less anxiety than other early electric pioneers. That reputation didn’t come from nowhere. Just look one class up at the Kia e-Niro, where there are plenty of cars with very high mileage still delivering ranges close to their original figures. It may well be the most “complete” option in this group - a shame it’s also the rarest.

What you should check before buying

With a used electric car under €10,000, there’s one question that outweighs all the others: what condition is the battery in? That’s what determines whether the deal is sensible. A cheap car with a heavily degraded battery is not a good buy.

After that, it’s worth applying the same discipline you would to any used car: service history, tyre condition, brakes, charging cables, air conditioning operation, and any signs of wear that don’t tally with the claimed mileage.

For the Renault Zoe, the battery’s contractual status needs to be completely clear. For the Nissan Leaf, battery health deserves extra scrutiny. With the Smart ForTwo and the Dacia Spring, you need to be sure their range limitations genuinely match your intended use. As for the Kia e-Soul, the challenge may simply be finding one.

In this article we’ve highlighted five used electric cars, but you can find more alternatives on piscapisca.pt. You can also simulate financing, with monthly payments around €100 - though that would be a whole separate article. You might even end up with a payment lower than what you currently spend on fuel. As a former Portuguese prime minister once put it: “it’s just a matter of doing the maths”.