Used electric vehicle prices are rising even as supply increases, driven partly by disruption linked to America's latest conflict in the Middle East, according to analysts at Cox Automotive. Despite the higher prices, demand remains robust, with used EV sales up around 20 percent year-on-year overall, and buyers can find used EVs sitting on dealer lots far less time than new ones. This matters because more shoppers are turning to the used market at the cheaper end, making a clear picture of what's available at each price point useful for budget-conscious buyers.

This instalment of Ars Technica's used EV buying guide focuses on models priced between $25,000 and $30,000, of which Autotrader lists over 9,000 nationwide. Vehicles fall into three groups by availability: widely available models such as the Chevrolet Blazer EV and Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Tesla models; moderately available options including the Nissan Ariya, Volkswagen ID.4, Honda Prologue, Toyota bZ4x and Subaru Solterra; and rarer finds. Hyundai's E-GMP-based EVs are still recommended despite past ICCU reliability concerns, as the warranty has been extended to 15 years or 180,000 miles.