Amid growing buyer concerns over battery costs, some wholesale auction companies are reworking their vehicle condition reports to better disclose battery health on used electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
ADESA Inc. is one of the latest to take that step as part of its plan to gear up for the substantial numbers of EVs expected in the wholesale market in the coming years. The auction provider in early September announced a partnership with Recurrent, an EV battery and range analytics company, to add a feature on condition reports that more clearly shows potential buyers an EV's battery status in the form of what ADESA is calling a Range Score.
During the inspection process, Recurrent's software analyzes a vehicle's history and battery data and then generates a battery health score from 0 to 100. That number is displayed on the vehicle's condition report on adesa.com along with a Range Score badge. A potential buyer can click on the badge to see more information, such as warranty details and expected battery performance, according to ADESA, the country's second-largest vehicle auction company, which was purchased by Carvana Co. in the spring.