There’s no denying buying a car is one of the more major purchases people make, and the resale value of a car is a factor many take into consideration – particularly given the high cost of electric vehicles and the usual fears about depreciation.
With that in mind, it’s worth checking out resale values of electric vehicles prior to purchasing – you could be pleasantly surprised.
Car value and price analysis site Kelley Blue Book (the US equivalent of Redbook) has released its 2019 Best Resale Value Awards, and amongst its 24 categories has included its top three electric cars by resale value in the US.
Granted, all of theses are 2019 models – the resale value is most likely a prediction based on leasing analysis than on actual resales data.
We’re listing them in order of lowest to highest… there’s no prizes for guessing which EV maker can take credit for #2 and #1!
#3 – 2019 Audi e-tron
Audi’s all-electric offering in the highly popular SUV segment is not even actually on sale in the US yet, but nevertheless has made the list at number 3.
It is priced at $US74,800 in the USA, and is expected to reach Australian shores in mid-2019 at around $A140,000.
Packed with a dual motor configuration – 125kW on the front axle and 140kW on the rear – it offers a hefty 562Nm torque resulting in 0-100km/hr acceleration in 6.1 seconds.
Audi says that the flatpack li-ion battery array under the floor will give it a healthy 400km range, and can be recharged through an 11kW charger from 0% to 80% in 8.5 hours.
At a fast-charger station it can complete a charge in 30 minutes with up to 150kW worth of current.
Kelley Blue Book reports that the e-tron will fetch 54.5 per cent of its new-car value 3 years after purchase, and 32.5 per cent 5 years after purchase.
#2 – 2019 Tesla Model X
Number two in the resale value stakes goes to EV pioneer Tesla’s all-electric Model XÂ – also an SUV.
The 2018 model is available in Australia from a base price of $A172,685 for the all-wheel drive 100D with 100kWh battery, the Model X has a range of 565km (NEDC), max output of 330kW and acceleration from 0-100km/hr in 4.9 seconds.
Kelley Blue Book says that owners the 2019 Model X will be able to expect a resale value of 56.7 per cent after 3 years of ownership, and 34.3 per cent after 5 years of ownership.
#1 – 2019 Tesla Model 3
No surprises here – the Tesla Model 3 tops the list for resale value according to Kelley Blue Book.
The highly successful Model 3 that has upturned the US auto market on its head, becoming the 5th best selling sedan in the third quarter of 2018.
Set to enter the Australian market in mid-2019, the base rear-wheel Tesla Model 3 is priced for the US market at $US44,000 ($A61,470), or $US35,950 ($A50,225) after incentives are subtracted (this will be altered no doubt in a few days when incentives are reduced).
The rear-wheel drive model with 62kWh battery with 425km real world range offers acceleration from 0-100km/hr in under 6 seconds.
Kelley Blue Book says that an Tesla Model 3 owner can expect to get an impressive 69.3 per cent resale value with three years of ownership and 48.7 per cent resale value after five years of ownership.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.