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WSJ says electric vehicles lose value faster than ICE vehicles but ignore subsidies, falling EV prices

Kind of a strange story today from the WSJ today. In a post a Titled “Resale Prices Tumble on Electric Cars, Tax credits on new models, worries about battery life undercut efforts to peddle used Nissan Leaf” the Wall Street Journal doesn’t read its own headline.  Take $7500-$10,000 off the price of the Electric car to start with since it has been a federal subsidy since electric cars began being offered in 2012.  That Chevy Volt was really a $34K car to buy new. That Leaf was under $30K.

No one ever paid $42,021 for a Chevy Volt. Ever.

Then factor in that prices of electric cars have dropped as demand and therefore production has increased. A new 2015 Nissan Leaf is now $21,000. That’s the same price as the Chevy Cruze above. Used prices are going to drop accordingly.

Sure temporary price drops in gas haven’t helped electric vehicle sales (as well as the perception of long term battery capacity drops) but the graph and premise above from the WSJ is misleading and curious. 

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Comments

  1. lincolnsills - 10 years ago

    Keep in mind that the Federal Tax Credit is not deducted from the price of the car unless you lease the vehicle. Your point still holds (as is almost always true with you and 9to5mac.com) but I wanted to point this out.

  2. lincolnsills - 10 years ago

    As for the value, NADA & MMR (Mannheim Auto Auction) will confirm that EV’s have very little resale value.

Author

Avatar for Seth Weintraub Seth Weintraub

Publisher and Editorial Director of the 9to5/Electrek sites. Tesla Model 3, X and Chevy Bolt owner…5 ebikes and counting


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