I think that perspective mostly exists amongst the chronically online. I don’t see it much in the real world.
All EVs depreciate quickly, Tesla isn’t unique in this regard.
The reason is simply that the market is currently higher income earning early adopters. That customer base is willing to pay the premium for the newest model, and upgrades quickly when newer models come out.
This results in a large of supply of 3 year old vehicles, but not much demand.
In time we’ll see used EVs depreciate at rates more similar to ICE vehicles, as mainstream buyers, who view EVs as a car rather than a tech product, enter the market.
> The reason is simply that the market is currently higher income earning early adopters.
I'm not sure this has a basis in reality. There is no supporting evidence for it.
On the contrary, there is evidence that both Musk's favorability rating[1] and Tesla's brand reputation[2][3] have nosedived over the last few years and especially after Jan 2025.
If you want to claim an income-value-market cause, you'll have to provide more compelling evidence.
Maybe you missed it, but there was a whole period in the Spring when people were in the real world protesting in front of actual Tesla dealerships. These were people like my parents, who don't even have social media, yet they were dragging themselves and their protest signs to the local Tesla dealerships every weekend. People got so mad they were setting Teslas on fire! When people are so pissed they're firebombing dealerships, you can't pretend it's just online murmurings.
All EVs depreciate quickly, Tesla isn’t unique in this regard.
The reason is simply that the market is currently higher income earning early adopters. That customer base is willing to pay the premium for the newest model, and upgrades quickly when newer models come out.
This results in a large of supply of 3 year old vehicles, but not much demand.
In time we’ll see used EVs depreciate at rates more similar to ICE vehicles, as mainstream buyers, who view EVs as a car rather than a tech product, enter the market.