Listing a used electric car: the photos EV buyers look for first
EV buyers check different things from petrol buyers: the charge port, the cable, the battery display and the range. The photo set that answers their questions before they ask.
EV buyers have a different checklist
Someone buying a used petrol car wants to see the bodywork, the interior and the mileage. Someone buying a used electric car wants all of that, plus the answers to three questions: what state is the battery in, what charging does it support, and what comes with it. Most listings never show any of it.
On an owners' forum for the Nissan Leaf, one buyer complained that nearly every online dealer would provide dozens of photos of a car and not one of the charge port, and that asking for one rarely got a reply. That is a sale lost over a photo that takes ten seconds.
The charge port, open, with the flap visible
Open the charging flap and photograph the port straight on. It shows the buyer which connector the car has, whether it supports rapid charging (the extra pins at the bottom of a CCS port) and the condition of the port and its cover. Many EVs have a light ring or indicator around the port; photograph it with the car switched on so the indicator shows.
The cables and the charger, laid out
Used EVs are often sold without the cable that came with them, and buyers know it. Lay out whatever is included: the granny cable for a three-pin socket, the Type 2 cable for public chargers, any home charger that is part of the deal. Photograph them together with the car in the background, then put them back in the bag they came in and show that too. A missing cable is a hundred pounds or more off the price in a buyer's head.
The battery and range display
With the car on, photograph the screen that shows the state of charge and the estimated range, and if the car has a battery health display, that too. It is not a formal report, but it tells a buyer the car is charging and roughly what to expect. Where you have a battery state-of-health report from a diagnostic tool, photograph the printout or screen as well. Energy supplier E.ON Next's guide to inspecting a used EV puts battery health first on the list of things to check, and marketplaces such as Cars.com have started adding battery ratings to used EV listings for the same reason.
Show the charging history, not just the charger
If the car logs its charging sessions or shows the charging settings (scheduled charging, charge limit), a photo of that screen shows the buyer the car has been used and charged normally. For cars with heat pumps, pre-conditioning or other range-related options, a photo of that menu page saves an email.
Then the normal set, with two EV additions
Everything in the twelve-angle shot list still applies. Two additions: photograph the front boot, if the car has one, because buyers will ask, and photograph the tyres closely. EVs are heavy and quick off the line and wear tyres faster than buyers expect, so tread depth is a real concern.
Photograph the actual car
Several EV makers and dealers list used cars with manufacturer stock images instead of photos of the car for sale. Buyers dislike it enough that it is a regular complaint on forums, and Tesla eventually added real photos to its used listings after years of showing only stock renders. A used car is a specific object with specific marks. Show it.
Keep the look consistent across the lot
An EV in a studio booth looks like every other car in the booth, which is the point: buyers comparing your electric stock with your petrol stock see one business, not two. Carzbooth puts the car in the booth and leaves the car alone, so the port, the cables and any marks on the body are exactly as photographed.