I was recently browsing an auto listing app for a used EV as I’m thinking about switching to an EV from my ICE hatchback, and the market near me is absolutely flooded with Teslas, primary model 3s. And it’s not just “old” ones either. Tons of 2020-2024 models as well.
Fun fact, while shopping for a car in 2022, we looked at a used 2021 bmw x5. I wondered what they replaced it with and the salesman said “oh, he traded it in for a 2022 x5 of the exact same trim”. They know him well because every year he comes in and trades in to make sure he is never driving “last year’s model”.
Particularly stupid because that was the year of shortages where they actually made the new model worse by removing features they couldn’t get supply for, other than removing features, the new car was unchanged from prior year.
Used Teslas cost chump change in my country, especially older Model S which is the more luxurious model. Morally, I could justify buying a used one. I still hate the things though. And while I don’t care too much about my image, a nazi sympathiser is not something I want to look like.
I’m considering a Jaguar I-Pace or MB EQC instead. But if I can get a REALLY good deal on a used Tesla, I might consider pulling the trigger just because 2 euros per liter of diesel makes me spend twice what my payment on the Tesla would be and I could charge it at home.
Though I do love my current torsen-based Quattro so I’d ideally want an AWD car meaning the ones that fit the bill are about as much as the I-Pace. Which begs the question of which one is actually nicer to drive. Guess I’ll have to test drive them both.
Model 3s are some of the best vehicles ever made - extremely safe and powerful with great handling. Also, extremely low cost long term. Buying used is totally fine. Also there’s literally nothing we can do as consumers to affect Elon. Just treat the company as separate from him.
There are a lot of really shitty people who have done very good things for science, technology, and humanity throughout history. Elon Musk is inarguably a really shitty person, but he has also been at the center of multiple efforts that materially accelerated technology and improved human capability.
Tesla was one of the biggest forces in dragging EVs out of the fringe and into the mainstream. The IEA projected around 17 million EV sales in 2024, more than one-fifth of all new cars sold worldwide, and the EPA notes that EVs typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars even after accounting for battery manufacturing and charging electricity. (IEA)
Battery technology and grid-level storage matter far beyond cars. The IEA notes that grid-scale battery storage has scaled rapidly in recent years and is expected to account for most storage growth worldwide, which is a major part of making grids more stable and better able to absorb renewable power. (IEA)
On self-driving, the honest version is not “he solved autonomy,” because fully self-driving consumer cars are still not here. IIHS says Level 4 and 5 vehicles are not available to consumers for purchase, but Tesla has absolutely helped force driver-assistance and autonomy into the center of the industry and push deployment at huge real-world scale; Tesla says its supervised FSD system is trained on data from a fleet of over six million vehicles. (IIHS)
Then there is space. SpaceX made rocket reusability real at operational scale, and NASA has explicitly described reusability as a path to driving launch costs down. Lower launch costs and higher launch cadence directly expand access to space for communications, Earth observation, scientific missions, and the long-term path toward becoming a genuinely spacefaring civilization. (NASA Technical Reports Server)
Starlink also matters. The FCC authorized SpaceX’s broadband satellite system to provide broadband service, and that kind of global satellite internet has obvious real-world value for remote and underserved areas and for resilience when terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. (Federal Communications Commission)
So no, being a shitty person does not erase the fact that the companies he drove helped accelerate EV adoption, battery storage, launch reusability, satellite internet, and the broader push toward a more electrified, connected, and space-capable civilization. You can hate the man and still admit the net technological impact is very large.
The reality is they can last upwards of 500k miles with minimal maintenance, have excellent power and handling, and are extremely safe in accidents regardless of how many idiot Tesla drivers are crashing their Tesla
There are many high-mileage examples, and Tesla’s battery/drive-unit warranty is long for the segment
Model 3s are among the safer cars in their class, with strong IIHS results and Tesla’s low-center-of-gravity EV platform design.
They are objectively quick, with official 0-60 times ranging from 5.8s down to 2.9s depending on trim.
Routine maintenance is relatively light, and EPA data shows very low annual energy cost compared with many gas cars.
Buying used can be reasonable, especially when battery/warranty status is verified, and Tesla’s own pre-owned vehicles are inspected and sold with warranty coverage.
Anecdote:
I was recently browsing an auto listing app for a used EV as I’m thinking about switching to an EV from my ICE hatchback, and the market near me is absolutely flooded with Teslas, primary model 3s. And it’s not just “old” ones either. Tons of 2020-2024 models as well.
there are people in the world who buy new car because their 2 year old one is already too old.
Fun fact, while shopping for a car in 2022, we looked at a used 2021 bmw x5. I wondered what they replaced it with and the salesman said “oh, he traded it in for a 2022 x5 of the exact same trim”. They know him well because every year he comes in and trades in to make sure he is never driving “last year’s model”.
Particularly stupid because that was the year of shortages where they actually made the new model worse by removing features they couldn’t get supply for, other than removing features, the new car was unchanged from prior year.
I cant imagine having a perpetual car payment like that. I paid mine off years ago and its great.
Used Teslas cost chump change in my country, especially older Model S which is the more luxurious model. Morally, I could justify buying a used one. I still hate the things though. And while I don’t care too much about my image, a nazi sympathiser is not something I want to look like.
I’m considering a Jaguar I-Pace or MB EQC instead. But if I can get a REALLY good deal on a used Tesla, I might consider pulling the trigger just because 2 euros per liter of diesel makes me spend twice what my payment on the Tesla would be and I could charge it at home.
Though I do love my current torsen-based Quattro so I’d ideally want an AWD car meaning the ones that fit the bill are about as much as the I-Pace. Which begs the question of which one is actually nicer to drive. Guess I’ll have to test drive them both.
Model 3s are some of the best vehicles ever made - extremely safe and powerful with great handling. Also, extremely low cost long term. Buying used is totally fine. Also there’s literally nothing we can do as consumers to affect Elon. Just treat the company as separate from him.
https://www.motor1.com/news/781164/tesla-used-car-reliability-rankings/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebanker/2025/02/11/tesla-again-has-the-highest-accident-rate-of-any-auto-brand/
🤡
There are a lot of really shitty people who have done very good things for science, technology, and humanity throughout history. Elon Musk is inarguably a really shitty person, but he has also been at the center of multiple efforts that materially accelerated technology and improved human capability.
Tesla was one of the biggest forces in dragging EVs out of the fringe and into the mainstream. The IEA projected around 17 million EV sales in 2024, more than one-fifth of all new cars sold worldwide, and the EPA notes that EVs typically have a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline cars even after accounting for battery manufacturing and charging electricity. (IEA)
Battery technology and grid-level storage matter far beyond cars. The IEA notes that grid-scale battery storage has scaled rapidly in recent years and is expected to account for most storage growth worldwide, which is a major part of making grids more stable and better able to absorb renewable power. (IEA)
On self-driving, the honest version is not “he solved autonomy,” because fully self-driving consumer cars are still not here. IIHS says Level 4 and 5 vehicles are not available to consumers for purchase, but Tesla has absolutely helped force driver-assistance and autonomy into the center of the industry and push deployment at huge real-world scale; Tesla says its supervised FSD system is trained on data from a fleet of over six million vehicles. (IIHS)
Then there is space. SpaceX made rocket reusability real at operational scale, and NASA has explicitly described reusability as a path to driving launch costs down. Lower launch costs and higher launch cadence directly expand access to space for communications, Earth observation, scientific missions, and the long-term path toward becoming a genuinely spacefaring civilization. (NASA Technical Reports Server)
Starlink also matters. The FCC authorized SpaceX’s broadband satellite system to provide broadband service, and that kind of global satellite internet has obvious real-world value for remote and underserved areas and for resilience when terrestrial infrastructure is unavailable. (Federal Communications Commission)
So no, being a shitty person does not erase the fact that the companies he drove helped accelerate EV adoption, battery storage, launch reusability, satellite internet, and the broader push toward a more electrified, connected, and space-capable civilization. You can hate the man and still admit the net technological impact is very large.
Sources:
https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2024/trends-in-electric-cars
https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/electric-vehicle-myths
https://www.iea.org/energy-system/electricity/grid-scale-storage
https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/advanced-driver-assistance
https://www.tesla.com/fsd
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20160013370/downloads/20160013370.pdf
https://nstxl.org/reducing-the-cost-of-space-travel-with-reusable-launch-vehicles/
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-authorizes-spacex-provide-broadband-satellite-services
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-approves-next-gen-satellite-constellation
The reality is they can last upwards of 500k miles with minimal maintenance, have excellent power and handling, and are extremely safe in accidents regardless of how many idiot Tesla drivers are crashing their Tesla
There are many high-mileage examples, and Tesla’s battery/drive-unit warranty is long for the segment
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/tesla/model-3-4-door-sedan/2025
https://www.iihs.org/ratings/top-safety-picks/2025/all/tesla
https://www.tesla.com/model3
https://www.tesla.com/support/vehicle-warranty
https://www.tesla.com/ownersmanual/model3/en_us/GUID-E95DAAD9-646E-4249-9930-B109ED7B1D91.html
https://www.tesla.com/support/ordering-pre-owned-tesla
https://fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&baseModel=Model+3&make=Tesla&pageno=1&path=1&rowLimit=50&srchtyp=ymm&year1=2022&year2=2024
https://www.caranddriver.com/tesla/model-3
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2024-tesla-model-3-highland-first-drive-review
https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/2024-tesla-model-3-highland-standard-range-first-test-review
You couldn’t pay me to drive one.