Massive Tesla Sell-offs
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Why are so many people suddenly trying to get rid of their Teslas? After all, Tesla was once the gold standard in EVs. Cutting edge designs, breakneck acceleration, and the status symbol for the tech-savvy elite. But now an uncomfortable question is echoing across used car marketplaces and dealerships. Why are so many Tesla owners suddenly trying to sell their cars?

Numbers staggering. In March alone, over 13,000 used Teslas were listed for sale on AutoTrader, the most ever recorded. The spike wasn't just an outlier. It marked a 67% increase from the same time last year. And what's driving this shift?

Some point to market saturations, others to brand fatigue, but underneath it all is a deeper discomfort with Elon Musk himself and his increasingly political persona. As he's stepped into a new role as the doge head,

and align himself with right-wing politics, including close ties to the Trump administration, the Tesla brand appears to be losing its luster and faltering, especially among the progressive-leaning buyers who once championed it. The question isn't just why people are selling, but what this sudden exodus says about the future of Tesla.

Used Tesla inventory in the U.S. is ballooning at a pace that outstrips every other automaker. March didn't just break records, it absolutely shattered them, with more than 13,000 used Teslas up for sale on AutoTrader during the final week of the month.

And this was a flood of new cars coming in. The listing surged in tandem with hundreds of anti-Tesla protests that swept across the country during the same week, some under the banner of the Tesla takedown movement.

Now whether a correlational or a causation, this timing was hard to ignore. And while Tesla remained smaller in size compared to Toyota and GM, the increase in used listings, about 5,300 more than the same time last year, was large even in absolute terms. And meanwhile, used inventory for rivals like Rivian and Lucid, which are also pure EV brands, either stayed flat or dropped off.

Tesla is swimming against a current most of its competitors aren't feeling right now. And prices have followed the same downward trajectory. Data from CarGuru shows that the average price of a used Tesla in the U.S. dropped by 7% in March compared to a year ago.

In contrast, other EVs saw only a 1.5% dip. In the UK, the trend was even sharper, with used Tesla prices falling 15% versus the 10% drop across all EVs. The size and speed of these price reductions suggest more than just routine market adjustments. Now, Cox Automotive, which is the parent company of AutoTrader,

And I have to disclose this. I used to work at Cox Automotive. They attribute this glutton inventory to two core reasons. First, the company notes Tesla's extraordinary production growth between 2021 and 2023.

And that surge of new vehicles hitting the road was bound to spill into the used market. And now it's starting to show. Second, Cox suggests that Elon Musk's political involvement, particularly his leadership in Doge and his proximity to Donald Trump, has begun to affect consumer sentiment. Even some long-term Tesla drivers are looking for the exit.

Now, this isn't just about cars, though. People identify with their vehicles, and Teslas were never just transportational. For many, they symbolized a future forward lifestyle, clean energy, innovation, and independence from the large fossil fuel companies. But when the people behind the vision become closely associated with a political ideology many of his early adopters oppose, the product starts to feel different in your driveway.

Data from YouGov in early March showed a noticeable drop in Tesla's popularity among American consumers, reaching record lows. And Musk's increasingly visible alignment with far-right politics appears to have alienated a core segment of its original buyer base. Now, the effects of

tangible of these tangible sell-offs go beyond social media and political debate though. Edmunds has tracked a sharp increase in post-2017 Teslas being traded in. By mid-March, they accounted for 1.4% of all vehicle trade-ins, up from just 0.4% in the same period last year. This tripled in trade sales.

The trade-ins suggest a growing urgency among owners to move on. They just want to get rid of these things. CarGurus market analysis believe there's another technical factor at play. An influx of former fleet cars hitting the market. These are vehicles leased by companies or rented out through services and now returning to dealerships in bulk. That volume can crash prices, particularly if not balanced by equal consumer demand.

And the result is a swelling inventory and declining resale value. Now, over in the UK, Autotrader's commercial director attributes the price drop to a wave of Tesla purchased on financing that are now maturing. In March alone, there were 5,400 used Teslas listed on Autotrader's UK platform, nearly double the 2,900 from a year earlier.

Interestingly, UK buyers still seem more receptive as those used Teslas are selling quicker than the average EV, 23 days versus 29. But volume like this can only be absorbed so fast before the market stress sets in. Now, despite all the chaos in the resale markets, Tesla is attempting to pivot forward. The company has confirmed two major upcoming releases, a more affordable Tesla model, the $25,000 model that we've all heard about,

And it's set to enter production before the middle of this year. And a robo-taxi, of course, will launch in Austin in June. They're designed to revitalize consumer interest in Tesla, but they arrive at a moment when brand trust is the most fragile it has ever been. Now,

Tesla's global performance has been hit hard too. The first quarter of this year was the company's weakest since 2022, with only 336,681 vehicles delivered worldwide, far short of 390,000 analysts had forecasted. And that 13% drop year over year has unnerved investors.

Now, according to JP Morgan, even low-end expectations weren't pessimistic enough. A sharp drop in deliveries confirmed the kind of brand erosion that only months ago would have seemed improbable. Now,

The pressure isn't just about production delays. Tesla's best-selling vehicle, the Model Y, is aging. They're releasing a new refresh of that, and people are taking to that pretty well. Analysts believe some potential buyers are delaying purchases until they can get their hands on a new Model Y as well. And increasing competition is also mounting.

Tesla now finds itself battling EV manufacturers from China, like BYD, and other Asian markets who are releasing more advanced, lower-cost models. One glaring example came in March when BYD revealed a fast-charging platform capable of refueling an EV in about five minutes. Usually trickles in on a supercharger for about 20 minutes. You can go get yourself a cup of coffee...

Grab a burger, whatever you want to do, 20 minutes. That was Tesla's strategy all along because they couldn't get their superchargers to go faster than about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how much charge you needed. Sometimes it would take longer than that, too. So what are you going to do on a long road trip when you already took a break and you have to wait 30 more minutes just because your car has to charge?

Takes a while. Are you going to go stop at the convenience store? Or if it's at a parking lot, say at a hotel chain, what do you do then? You just sit in your car and hang out and take a breather? I guess that's one way to look at it. But this also means that BYD's stock surged to record highs while Tesla's dropped more than 40% for the year. Also, Tesla stock was very inflated recently.

And it's on a decline now. It's going to level out. I think it was once they start moving more into robotics, the Tesla stock is going to go way up, in my opinion. And I'm not a financial advisor, so don't take my word as any financial advice. I have to do a disclaimer there so nobody gets in trouble. There's also been the enthusiasm drop towards EVs.

And Gallup had a poll that said that EV interest is softening, particularly among groups previously most likely to adopt them. The data doesn't specify Tesla's role in this trend, but it raises the possibility that negative perceptions of the brand may be bleeding into views of EVs as a whole. And for Tesla owners, the consequences are immediate.

A vehicle that might have held its value better than any other EV on the market just a few years ago now sits in a resale market where it earns thousands less than competing models. The average used Tesla sells for about $10,000 less than any other vehicle. It's a pretty steep loss. It's also changed how perspective buyers are thinking. Once a status symbol, a used Tesla now comes with cultural baggage.

For a growing number of consumers, it's not just a car anymore. It's a statement about who you are. A shift is especially important in a country where buying decisions are deeply intertwined with your identity and your politics. Now, as the second-hand market fills to the brim with Teslas and buyers become more cautious, the company's next moves will have to be more than technical upgrades or new product announcements.

Tesla needs to solve one problem that software could never fix. The perception from the public. Also, right now is a really great time to buy a Tesla. So if you can find a good used Tesla, go check them out. You can check them on any online auto retailer. Also on Tesla's website itself.

You can also just get them delivered to your house through Carvana and get a car dropped off of your house. You can trade in your car at Carvana and also have that car dropped off for your house, a new Tesla. I'm not, they're not a sponsor, but that's why I buy my cars. It's so easy. Now,

Welcome to Leading the Shift.

A new podcast from Microsoft Azure. I'm your host, Susan Etlinger. In each episode, leaders will share what they're learning to help you navigate all this change with confidence. Please join us. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thing is, Tesla's losing resale value. Market share and consumer loyalty at the same time. That's a triple threat.

And the root of the issue appears to be a complex competition of overproducing, increased competition, and of course, people starting to not like Elon as much as they used to. He used to be a fun, happy, goofy tech bro that had future plans to send people to Mars and seemed like a nice guy. And then, of course, the whole Trump thing happened and people soured on him. So take that for what you will.

But let me know if there's comments on your podcast platform if you're in the market for a Tesla. Because if you are, it might be a good time to take a look. There's a lot of them on the market and the price has dropped severely. All right. Thank you so much for listening today. On my way out of here, I want to ask you for one second of your time. I'm going to give you 10 years of mine.

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