The 12V battery is small but critical: when it dies, the car cannot start, unlock, or charge. Used EVs often have weak 12V batteries because they sit on lots for months. Before shipping, ask the exporter to: 1. Measure the battery voltage after the car has rested overnight. It should read around 12.4-12.8V; anything under 12.2V means the battery is degraded. 2. Start the car and check that the charging system holds 13.8-14.4V, confirming the DC-DC converter works. 3. Scan for stored fault codes related to low voltage, which indicate the battery has been deeply discharged repeatedly. During ocean freight, the battery slowly self-discharges. Ask that it be disconnected or kept on a maintainer before loading, and budget for a replacement after arrival if the battery is over 3 years old. A new 12V battery costs little compared to being stranded at the port.

Interior wear is harder to fake than an odometer and often reveals true usage better than any document. Focus on high-contact points the seller rarely restores. The driver's seat bolster shows creasing and cracking by 80,000-100,000 km even with covers. Steering wheel leather polishes smooth and darkens with hand oils; a shiny wheel with low claimed mileage is a red flag. Pedal rubbers wear through at similar rates — check accelerator, brake, and clutch depth. Second-row wear patterns tell you how the car was used: heavy child-seat indentations suggest family use (usually gentler), while uniform rear wear with clean front suggests commercial or ride-hailing duty. Check seat rails for rust (indicates water ingress) and look under floor mats for moisture staining or musty smell — flood cars often hide it there. Also examine the infotainment and instrument cluster: Chinese EVs log usage data internally, and a dealer diagnostic readout can cross-check driving hours against mileage. Request close-up, well-lit photos of these specific points during your live video inspection rather than relying on the seller's gallery.

The registration certificate will show whether the previous owner was an individual (registered with ID) or a company (registered with a business license). Vehicles under a company may be driven by multiple people, so we will focus on checking the uniformity of interior wear and the condition of the chassis.