Latest from Consmer Reports April 2020

From the article, "Your EV Questions, Answered"

"It’s a buyer’s market for used Leafs. That’s partly
because Nissan sold a lot of them on three-year leases
that have been expiring during a period of low demand
for energy-efficient vehicles, Ibara says. The same is
true for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. In contrast,
Tesla models have retained their value well. If you’re
considering a used EV, you can find bargains. "

Yeah right

Tesla is the transportation version of the purse-sized dog. Or, conversely, the dog-sized purse.

Many current owners will be gone upon the arrival of the next shiny object "influencers" begin clamoring for. And I have no doubt that this will open up the floodgates for those who have patiently waited for bargain used Teslas.

mwalsh said:

Tesla is the transportation version of the purse-sized dog. Or, conversely, the dog-sized purse.

Many current owners will be gone upon the arrival of the next shiny object "influencers" begin clamoring for. And I have no doubt that this will open up the floodgates for those who have patiently waited for bargain used Teslas.

Click to expand...

It's been almost eight years since the Model S started production and the prices for a used S are still absurdly high ( mid $30's for a 2012). That ain't the result of "influencers". Simply limited supply and high demand. Model 3 is the first true mass production car built by Tesla. Now that they are cranking out 350000 cars a year, you might see more reasonable used car prices in 4-5 years as buyers pay them off and start looking for something new. Model Y production will help some with trade-ups from model 3 but that will be limited to a few of the wealthier owners. As it stands, depreciation is so low that even Consumer Reports Suggests buying a new Model 3 rather than used.

The Model S was alone in its niche: long-range luxury EV. Now that it has real competition there, prices should start to reflect supply more than just the car having a mini-monopoly.

mwalsh said:

Tesla is the transportation version of the purse-sized dog. Or, conversely, the dog-sized purse.

Many current owners will be gone upon the arrival of the next shiny object "influencers" begin clamoring for. And I have no doubt that this will open up the floodgates for those who have patiently waited for bargain used Teslas.

Click to expand...

Even if the "floodgates" of used T-cars happen, you could not get me buy a used one. At any price. Why "buy into" (pun) the ideology of a company that is out to be a monopoly and make you its slave for the sake of status.

After having been burned by ONE low miles, used BMW with an intermittent transmission computer problem, I have very happily lived without any European, Scandinavian, or British rolling $$$ mistresses.

If you ever own a used "T-car" (I refuse to mention their name), you will be paying the devil with your soul for parts and factory repairs when you get into a minor fender bender or when the computer components, (even the door handles) start acting up.

Although I might never own one (I'm too bargain-basement), Tesla is my favorite automaker. I have tremendous respect for their independent thinking and game-changing design. I give them mad props for never selling a car with a tailpipe, and for making EVs desirable. They do exactly what they want, they do it for the right reasons, and they're killing it! Conventional automakers are starting to take note. They're brilliant!

powersurge said:

mwalsh said:

Tesla is the transportation version of the purse-sized dog. Or, conversely, the dog-sized purse.

Many current owners will be gone upon the arrival of the next shiny object "influencers" begin clamoring for. And I have no doubt that this will open up the floodgates for those who have patiently waited for bargain used Teslas.

Click to expand...

Even if the "floodgates" of used T-cars happen, you could not get me buy a used one. At any price. Why "buy into" (pun) the ideology of a company that is out to be a monopoly and make you its slave for the sake of status.

After having been burned by ONE low miles, used BMW with an intermittent transmission computer problem, I have very happily lived without any European, Scandinavian, or British rolling $$$ mistresses.

If you ever own a used "T-car" (I refuse to mention their name), you will be paying the devil with your soul for parts and factory repairs when you get into a minor fender bender or when the computer components, (even the door handles) start acting up.

Click to expand...

Could you explain to me exactly how that's any different than any other low volume production automobile? Third party OEM parts only become available when the market is big enough. If you want cheap parts and easy availability, stick to Toyota, Ford, or GM. In a few years the Model 3 and Y will be ubiquitous and OEM parts from third parties will be widely available. Salvage parts will be available as well. Tesla is likely to sell 700,000 Model 3's this year and a couple 100,000 Y's as well. If Giga Berlin comes on-line in 2021, you could see a million new Tesla's that year. It's possible that Fremont and Shanghai alone could produce that many cars in 2021. At those volumes third party parts are inevitable especially if Tesla keeps their replacement part pricing at a premium.

LeftieBiker said:

The Model S was alone in its niche: long-range luxury EV. Now that it has real competition there, prices should start to reflect supply more than just the car having a mini-monopoly.

Click to expand...

What Competition? Jaguar has halted production due to lack of batteries. Most of the other announced competitors have yet to bring an actual car to market. Porsche has a nice car except that it costs twice as much as a Tesla. Although a lot of manufacturers compare themselves to Tesla, none have had the nerve to say that that they are better than Tesla or even equal to them. The Porsche comes the closest but at twice the price it ought to beat Tesla hands down, not just match it here and there.

johnlocke said:

LeftieBiker said:

The Model S was alone in its niche: long-range luxury EV. Now that it has real competition there, prices should start to reflect supply more than just the car having a mini-monopoly.

Click to expand...

What Competition? Jaguar has halted production due to lack of batteries. Most of the other announced competitors have yet to bring an actual car to market. Porsche has a nice car except that it costs twice as much as a Tesla. Although a lot of manufacturers compare themselves to Tesla, none have had the nerve to say that that they are better than Tesla or even equal to them. The Porsche comes the closest but at twice the price it ought to beat Tesla hands down, not just match it here and there.

Click to expand...

I agree--no real competition that I've seen.
Also, while DC quick charge is gradually gaining stations, it's typically only one or two connectors per location, sometimes taking that location down with a single point failure. Nothing close to what the Tesla network can offer.

Bouldergramp said:

From the article, "Your EV Questions, Answered"

"It’s a buyer’s market for used Leafs. That’s partly
because Nissan sold a lot of them on three-year leases
that have been expiring during a period of low demand
for energy-efficient vehicles, Ibara says. The same is
true for the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. In contrast,
Tesla models have retained their value well. If you’re
considering a used EV, you can find bargains. "

Click to expand...

I drive one of those bargains. I picked up my '17 SV with (barely) 12 bars for less than $13k last August.

I think not. There is nothing to indicate that such has been or will be the case.

mwalsh said:

Many current owners will be gone upon the arrival of the next shiny object "influencers" begin clamoring for. And I have no doubt that this will open up the floodgates for those who have patiently waited for bargain used Teslas.

Click to expand...