I am aware this post is early for sure, but anyone interested in selling their MS fast, here I am, willing to pay $50k. Otherwise, I am waiting to buy Gen III. Any bets on which one I get first?
Not that far fetched. By early 2015, the ModelS fever will have subsided and prices of used ModelS's will come to realistic levels.
Here are some things to consider that will lower the demand for Model S's
- Tax benefits in Norway will expire, which is currently it's biggest market.
- Tax benefits in USA will expire later in 2015.
- Model X will divert attention, and so will Model 3 (people will smaller budgets will wait, rather than stretch).
- Other manufacturers with their PHEV's will offer viable alternatives for literally half the price.
- Wildcard - China demand may compensate for all this. But China has their own EV manufacturers who may come up with something far cheaper for the chinese customer.
Finally, people will begin to come to their senses, and the false cloud of "Model S is a perfect car" will disperse.
Here are some things about Model S that are not perfect,
- Repairs and body work are extremely expensive. Insurance companies are only beginning to appreciate the risk there, and this will drive up the insurance costs of Model S also (already happening).... btw Tesla Roadster insurance was a joke for the same reason.
- It is a very big car and very wide. You will get dings, and every now and then you will back into a pole. So you will need that expensive insurance with low deductible (or pay out of pocket). Also, in case of repairs, the car sits waiting for parts a lot longer than since only Tesla can manufacture the replacement panels. So factor in rental costs also.
- The interiors in a $50K Acura are far superior than a Model S. Seriously, next time you sit in a Model S, photoshop the LCD screen out, and what you have are interiors comparable to a Honda Civic.
- The car, esp. the 21" wheels, eats tires. This depends on how you drive of course.
- The car requires fewer trips to the dealer (no oil changes), but the trips are expensive, unless you buy an expensive maint. plan. ahead of time.
- And the car has reliability issues, like any other car. What a shock, it's just a car.
- Plus, there are some imperfections, the seats aren't the best, the sunshade is tiny, and getting in and out of the car, you bump around the edges. Old farts have money to afford Model S's, and Old farts prefer the egress of a Mercedes S class (or similar). Also Old farts don't like digital LCD screens. What you are seeing now, is the initial hype/newness. It will subside.
Plus, a lot of those who spend $100K on a new car, will have another $100K in 2-3 years to spend on the next toy.
So early 2015, you will see 2012 Model S's with 20-30K miles for around 50K.
Early 2015 is just a few months away
