Leasing would be the logical choice to avoid the replacement cost of the battery. My wife and I are retired and the vehicle would make sense since 90% of our trips are below 40 miles round trip. But even with a lease the price is prohibitive. We can by a relatively low mileage car for 25% of the cost of an electric. $30,000 buys a lot of gas!!!
You may be comparing apples and oranges if you are comparing the cost of a new electric with a used gasoline car. A new Volt costs $35,000 before the federal rebate, $27,500 after. So unless someone is paying you $2,500 to take their used conventional car, I doubt it is $30,000 less.
There are used Volts on the market that you could look into.
The folks who are buying these now are going to be driving outdated versions in a year or two. Battery technology is moving amazingly quick right now.
It’s not for everybody. I commute 75 miles per day to & from work. My overage on miles is 15¢/mile if I go over my lease. Even if I drive 3,000 miles over my lease contract, it’s only $450. I’m using this car for everything but road trips.