Why so many Tesla’s in the span of a few years?

[Xenoilphobe]

Why more than one Tesla:
I bought a new Model S P85 2013 for me, then my wife stole it, so i bought a P85+ in 2014 to replace my original car, then wife wanted the new style with "Auto Pilot 1" so sold the 2013 with 50K on it, and bought a 2016 90D. The 2016 has 80K miles now and the 2014 has over 110K on it. BTW she never uses AP1 and hates it, as it is neither auto or a pilot, so it was stupid to have replaced the 2013....... once Tesla adds PANO back into the Model S we will get new ones and replace that stupid yoke. I do have a Cybertruck on order, but may go to another brand if I don't see it in 2023 and if they keep the yoke I am out.

 

[glide]

The cars don't get tossed in the rubbish bin. Someone buys them and drives them for another decade or so.

Finding a buyer is 100% the reason it is even possible to get the next one for me.

What makes you think that? Please point us to this second-hand Tesla that people have been driving for a decade or more (And no. A roadster for weekend drives does not count).

It does not exist. These cars started production in 2012. These cars are designed and treated like iPhones.

 

[Corndart]

What makes you think that? Please point us to this second-hand Tesla that people have been driving for a decade or more (And no. A roadster for weekend drives does not count).

It does not exist. These cars started production in 2012. These cars are designed and treated like iPhones.

Given the production numbers the first few years, the fact there aren't many used for sale shouldn't be a big surprise.

Tesla Model S - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There are 206 Tesla Model S , 2012-2014, for sale right now on Edmunds

Used Tesla Model S for Sale Near Portland, OR - Special Offers | Edmunds

Save up to $8,589 on one of 390 used Tesla Model Ss near you. Find your perfect car with Edmunds expert reviews, car comparisons, and pricing tools.

www.edmunds.com

There are 425 for sale on cars.com

https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?dealer_id=&keyword=&list_price_max=&list_price_min=&makes[]=tesla&maximum_distance=all&mileage_max=&models[]=tesla-model_s&page_size=20&sort=best_match_desc&stock_type=used&year_max=2014&year_min

So I'm not sure what constitutes a healthy resale market for older Teslas, given their sales volume, but it's not zero, these are not iphones.

 

[glide]

Given the production numbers the first few years, the fact there aren't many used for sale shouldn't be a big surprise.

Tesla Model S - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

There are 206 Tesla Model S , 2012-2014, for sale right now on Edmunds

Used Tesla Model S for Sale Near Portland, OR - Special Offers | Edmunds

Save up to $8,589 on one of 390 used Tesla Model Ss near you. Find your perfect car with Edmunds expert reviews, car comparisons, and pricing tools.

www.edmunds.com

There are 425 for sale on cars.com

https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?dealer_id=&keyword=&list_price_max=&list_price_min=&makes[]=tesla&maximum_distance=all&mileage_max=&models[]=tesla-model_s&page_size=20&sort=best_match_desc&stock_type=used&year_max=2014&year_min

So I'm not sure what constitutes a healthy resale market for older Teslas, given their sales volume, but it's not zero, these are not iphones.

People buy 5 year old iPhones too. That resale market also isn’t zero.

But the majority of people are not holding on to Teslas for the average length of ICE ownership. And rightfully so. It’s a technology platform with wheels. This is by design and is concerning.

 

[friscomelt314]

Well, the used tesla is not going to landfill, it’s going to someone who would probably buy a new tesla, but buying used for immediate availability. I don’t see how this impacts environment negatively.

Tesla also uses (or will use, if not implemented already) closed-loop recycling which enables certain battery components to be re-used.

 

[HaltonY]

I just bought my second MY; we still have our 2020 MYLR but my wife and I have decided to completely go electric. The MY is not perfect, but I feel Tesla has the best overall solution right now, from over the air updates to the fantastic supercharger network. And the 2022 model is vastly improved over my 2020 one. Some promising vehicles are being produced by other manufacturers now, but I think they will need a couple of years to work out the issues. My 2020 car is still a lot of fun to drive!

 

[mangrove79]

Many on here love their teslas so much and how great they hold up over time, yet so many are on their 3rd Tesla or even more. How or why is this? If the vehicle is sound why keep buying and selling and buying and selling? I have only ever held vehicles for at least 5 years so this was odd to me.

First, welcome!

I had a similar impression when I joined this forum as a new MY owner 10 months ago, but it was more of a positive impression since the vibe is kinda like iPhone users keep buying newer iPhones, you know, brand loyalty. Over time, I found some answers - true or not.

The demographic of Tesla owners in general has more money to spend. You switch (or buy newer cars) because you can. Tesla is also still in its infancy, and new features are being introduced every model year, many of which can't be installed as OTA updates. After-market upgrades are expensive and not always reliable, so if you can afford to get a new model, why not. As so many people already mentioned, the used car market is also fueling resales.

But, if you are someone who has always owned cars for more than 5 years, it's perfectly fine to keep doing that with your MY. I've kept all my past vehicles for more than 8 years 100,000 miles, and I intend to keep my MY for that long as well. So far after 13,000 miles, no issues whatsoever and my battery only dropped 5 miles in range.

 

[Daekwan]

People buy 5 year old iPhones too. That resale market also isn’t zero.

But the majority of people are not holding on to Teslas for the average length of ICE ownership. And rightfully so. It’s a technology platform with wheels. This is by design and is concerning.

I noticed this trend before I ever got serious about buying a Tesla. The "Tesla" guy in my office was already on his 4th back in 2019. His first was a Model S, then the Model X when it was introduced, then he traded the S for a Model 3 when it launched and finally, he bought the Model 3 SR+ for his daughter in college when it was announced in spring 2019. He didn't want her 'wasting' money on gas.

While I'm pretty proud of my '21 MYSR.. I must admit I'm already looking forward to the day when Austin is cranking out MYP's with a 4680 structured battery pack and I'm not even sure why anymore lol. The MYSR is already faster than I typically drive, I wouldn't ever use the extra range except for the occasional road trip that's well over 300 miles.. and the biggest gripes I have about my Y is still lack of CarPlay, blindside monitoring LEDs in the mirror and no rear cross-traffic alerts. A 2022 MYP w/4680 pack isn't changing gripes.. so why am I so anxious to spend another $20K to replace the perfectly fine working EV I have.. with a faster version of it, that has some better battery technology? Why is it so important to have the latest & greatest Tesla?

It definitely feels like the iPhone in that newest version, is suddenly the coolest version.. and you have to upgrade to the newest version even though last year's iPhone looks & works almost identically the same. Hell even the one 3 years before that.. still works just fine. The more I type, the more I realize it's just keeping up with the "Technology Jones's". And personally speaking.. I'll probably end up regretting an extra $300 every month for what is essentially a newer version of what I already have. Honestly.. with the gripes about the phantom braking in the vision-only Y's.. maybe I'd regret losing radar.. more than I'd ever like gaining anything new.

I notice the same trend with Tesla owners when it comes to items like PPF wrapping, ceramic coatings, and even FSD. They have pre-made these decisions on their very first Tesla.. which still has a delivery date that is several months away! Gotta do what everybody else is doing! Speaking of which.. let me go pre-order a Cybertruck right now lol.

 

[thesmokingman]

But with full sized vehicles, this could pose an issue of waste for the environment? I know that battery technology takes a heavy toll on the environment in the manufacturing but over the lifespan of the vehicle is overall a reduction compared to the ICE. I just hope we aren’t buying and selling every time something slightly newer comes out and never get to the environmental benefit that EVs are supposed to carry.

I hesitated to reply to this post because I find it disingenuous. How could you even state this when there are how many used ICE vehicles on the market? And this is put forth from an F250 driver. I mean c'mon man, seriously? Tesla hasn't even sold 1 million EV's in the US in a single production year yet (compared to tens of million ICE per major legacy), and you've the gall to suggest that there would be a environmental impact from ppl buying and selling their Tesla EVs. I don't know if you be trolling but dammit, I'm having a hard time decphiring your intent here.

 

[M3BlueGeorgia]

We have a 2018 Model 3, and at some time in the near future we will replace it with a Model Y.

Waiting on several things, one of which is to see th effect of 4680 batteries and Austin factory on the Model Y and it's configurations

 

[Horty4]

I hesitated to reply to this post because I find it disingenuous. How could you even state this when there are how many used ICE vehicles on the market? And this is put forth from an F250 driver. I mean c'mon man, seriously? Tesla hasn't even sold 1 million EV's in the US in a single production year yet (compared to tens of million ICE per major legacy), and you've the gall to suggest that there would be a environmental impact from ppl buying and selling their Tesla EVs. I don't know if you be trolling but dammit, I'm having a hard time decphiring your intent here.

Easy, no trolling and you were young once weren’t you? I see many going through Tesla’s that aren’t even a year old yet to get the next best one. That’s why I questioned. No need to be hostile.

 

[Horty4]

Also idk how to “like” the replies so thanks for everyone replying. Most of it makes sense, still have a small part of me that wonders. But hey, only god has all the answers.

 

[schen72]

Sounds like I might be in the minority but I'm normally the type who buys a car and keeps it until it is worn out, after 15+ years. I intend to do the same with my MY, assuming it actually lasts that long. I took a little bit of a risk buying this EV given that I have lived way below my means my entire life, but I felt at my current age it was okay to get a "nice" car. I paid cash, no financing, as is what I've done for all my past cars. I do understand I'm probably giving up some opportunity cost by not financing, but for a depreciating asset, I have a mental block to finance.

I also fully understand that in a few years, the new cars will have more features, more hotness, etc. This is true with ICE cars too. While I am not immune to wanting new things, my natural frugality will prevent me from constantly trading up, unless something happens to my existing car.

 

[jbcarioca]

For some people, including me, I've rarely owned a single vehicle for more than a couple of years. With rare exceptions my vehicles have been sold to a friend, given to a family member and less commonly, traded. The only big difference for me is that I've ended out with brand loyalty, for the first time ever. I began with an S moved to a 3 and now another S, but all three were quite different from one another. Each Tesla quickly went to a happy new owner.

I am quite conscious of ecology issues and note that all those used Tesla quickly find other buyers, often first time BEV buyers. It's clear from th perspective fo many of us active on this forum that we now take the energy efficiency for granted, even though many of us obsess about it.

I know, for example, the Wh/mi average for each of my BEVs, and am thrilled that my Model S Plaid has lifetime Wh/mi of 265 vs my P3D of 303. That ends out being important, and is one reason for changing to a new Tesla, plus sound system, quietness, better HVAC and so much more. OTOH, the Over the air updates keep the Teslas all feel like much improved cars.

A common theme among those who invest in TSLA is that we are avid enthusiasts for the mission. Despite being excited by superb handling and fast acceleration, we also really do want to advance sustainable energy. Thus, many of us have solar and wind power for our homes. Then, many of us have also ended out enthusiasts for SpaceX also, with the amazing efficiency and effectiveness of Starlink.

SO, truth be known, many of us have become serious and devoted fans of Elon Muck and his accomplishments as well as many members of the Tesla teams.

For me I bought a car, then a few shares, then more and so on. Now I must admit all this has changed my life. In the process I ended out with the single best investment of my life. Side effect, I'll probably keep passing off my pristine barely used Tesla products to slightly less lucky people, at the moment though, the used price for my car is well about my purchase price.

For good or ill, you've joined a cadre of fanatics!!

 

[Tha_Ape]

I may be the rare person that likes to keep a car 10yrs before selling it. To be honest, the lack of offering an extended warranty on the MY has me a bit anxious, is Tesla really not that confident in their car they wont offer it for any amount of money?? I'm going to re-evaluate my 5-10yr plan at 3.5yrs or 40k mi (which ever comes first). By 2025 I should have a good idea as to how well these will hold up in the long run.

This current market aside, its generally better to lease a car if you're going to trade up every 3yrs. and buy a car if you're going to own it over 5. With COVID and supply chain issues really messing up the market, Its a different story. I could sell my 2017 Prius Prime (which I bought in 2019) for exactly what I paid for it. We're in weird times though.

 

[Ogre]

I may be the rare person that likes to keep a car 10yrs before selling it. To be honest, the lack of offering an extended warranty on the MY has me a bit anxious, is Tesla really not that confident in their car they wont offer it for any amount of money?? I'm going to re-evaluate my 5-10yr plan at 3.5yrs or 40k mi (which ever comes first). By 2025 I should have a good idea as to how well these will hold up in the long run.

This current market aside, its generally better to lease a car if you're going to trade up every 3yrs. and buy a car if you're going to own it over 5. With COVID and supply chain issues really messing up the market, Its a different story. I could sell my 2017 Prius Prime (which I bought in 2019) for exactly what I paid for it. We're in weird times though.

I've always thought of extended warrantees of a giant rip-off. The only time I had one, the dealer backed out of it and wound up refunding us for the warrantee rather than honoring it.

To me, the lack of nonsense options at the sale was a huge green flag.

 

[Corndart]

People buy 5 year old iPhones too. That resale market also isn’t zero.

But the majority of people are not holding on to Teslas for the average length of ICE ownership. And rightfully so. It’s a technology platform with wheels. This is by design and is concerning.

There is no analog to a phone here where Apple stops updating IOS, apps stop working as a result, with the wildcard of cel provider standards changing, eventually resulting in an inoperable phone (e.g. retirement of 3g).

Tesla Roadsters from 2008 still charge and drive, right?

I also don't know where you're getting the data to support the "majority of people are not holding on to Teslas" - based on what evidence?

I think we'll have to agree to disagree (and I won't downvote your post - your opinion, just don't share it) .

 

[WhiteWi]

I may be the rare person that likes to keep a car 10yrs before selling it. To be honest, the lack of offering an extended warranty on the MY has me a bit anxious, is Tesla really not that confident in their car they wont offer it for any amount of money?? I'm going to re-evaluate my 5-10yr plan at 3.5yrs or 40k mi (which ever comes first). By 2025 I should have a good idea as to how well these will hold up in the long run.

This current market aside, its generally better to lease a car if you're going to trade up every 3yrs. and buy a car if you're going to own it over 5. With COVID and supply chain issues really messing up the market, Its a different story. I could sell my 2017 Prius Prime (which I bought in 2019) for exactly what I paid for it. We're in weird times though.

Very easy to understand why if you would try a little. Tesla is selling everything they can possibly make and they don’t want to be overstretched with extended warranty repair jobs while they have thousands and thousands new customers who expect timely service if they need regular warranty work. Once they build up enough service centers and have that under control maybe then they will start to offer extended warranty once again.

 

[Woggon]

I personally took delivery of my ‘22 Model Y in December. The price I paid when I took delivery it was $5K less than the current order price at the time of delivery.

I could sell it for $10K more than I paid for it today.

I have ordered a new Model Y with an estimated delivery of December because I’m again locked in at a price that is now $5K below what the current purchase price is, and I should be able to sell my “old” Y for close to the cost of a new one.

In theory I’ll have 15K-20K + miles on a car that isn’t depreciating. I’ll get the newest, greatest, heated wipers, rear and casting, and possibly the new battery on a “2023” model Y likely without throwing in any additional cash.

If that isn’t the case in December I can cancel my order and lose my nominal deposit.

I have to drive a car that is 3 years old or less for work and they pay for most of it.

Seems like a win…

 

[Xenoilphobe]

As soon as Genesis comes out with the GV90, my wife is dropping the Model S ..10 year 100K mileage warranty...