The Tesla Model 3 was ranked number 1 on a new study that analyzed the value retention of vehicles on the market. The Model 3 only showed a depreciation of 5.5% compared to the price of a new unit. That’s half the depreciation compared of the second-ranked vehicle on the study’s Top 10 list, the incredibly popular Ford Ranger pickup truck.
The study from iSeeCars.com noted the difference in value between two Model 3s manufactured a year apart was only $2,529. That’s just roughly the price of a few options from Tesla’s online configurator, like paint and white seats. With prices this close, there will likely be very little incentive for prospective EV buyers to opt for a second-hand Model 3.
One of the key motivations for buyers of second-hand cars is the supposed low price of the used vehicles themselves. Cars are notorious for losing a significant part of their value as soon as they are driven off the lot, and generally, electric vehicles see an even steeper depreciation. But for Tesla buyers, the high value retention of the company’s vehicles means that most of the time, it becomes far more practical to acquire a brand new Model 3 from the electric car maker.
This is something that was highlighted by iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly in a statement. “Instead of buying a car that’s already been driven for one year, consumers can buy the new version of select vehicles with a purchase price of just a few thousand dollars more to avoid the uncertainties that come with purchasing a used vehicle,” he said.
The iSeeCars CEO has valid points. There are notable uncertainties when one purchases an electric car. A second-hand car whose previous owner was careless may be prone to more issues compared to a new vehicle, for example. Apart from this, purchasing new cars offer a lot of benefits to consumers, since buyers will have full control on what their cars will be equipped with, from its interior to software-based features such as the Full Self-Driving suite.
The benefits of new Teslas extend beyond the cars’ buyers as well. The electric car maker benefits from operating a fleet of vehicles that are comprised of mostly new cars. Tesla is known for incrementally improving its vehicles to an almost obsessive degree. This means that when it comes to Teslas, it is always in the best interest of consumers to purchase the latest cars to make sure that they are getting the best tech and features available.
Does this mean that there is no place for Teslas in the second hand market? Definitely not. Second-hand Teslas will likely play a valuable role in the years to come, considering that the company is still expanding its presence across the globe and is yet to enter some large markets like India. Tesla is on a path towards a future where it could eventually produce millions of cars every year. Once this happens, Teslas will likely become ubiquitous enough that the second-hand market for the company’s electric cars will be friendlier to buyers.
Second-hand Teslas can also play a huge role in the company’s Robotaxi Network, which will utilize vehicles for ride-hailing services. For owners who wish to operate several Robotaxis, even the small savings offered by pre-owned vehicles will go a long way to ensure that their return of investment is quick. For now, though, and as long as Tesla is demand constrained, buyers can expect the Model 3 to resiliently retain its value years after it is purchased.
If there is anything shown in iSeeCars’ recent study, it is that Tesla is breaking stereotypes once more. A separate study from the firm showed that electric vehicles depreciate by 56.6% in three years, significantly more than 38.2% average depreciation across most petrol vehicles. Tesla has bucked this trend, however, with its entire lineup of vehicles like the Model 3, Model S, and Model X.
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SpaceX is rolling out a new feature to Starlink that could be a lifesaver
Starlink now has a new Standby Mode that will enable low-speed internet access in the event of an outage.
SpaceX is rolling out a new feature to Starlink that could be a lifesaver in some instances, but more of a luxury for others.
Starlink is the satellite internet service that Elon Musk’s company SpaceX launched several years ago. It has been adopted by many people at their homes, many airlines on their planes, and many maritime companies on their ships.
It has been a great way for customers to relieve themselves of the contracts and hidden fees of traditional internet service providers.
Now, Starlink is rolling out a new service feature on its units called “Standby Mode,” which is part of Pause Mode. The company notified customers of the change in an email:
“We’re reaching out to you to let you know the Pause feature on your plan has been updated. Pause now includes Standby Mode, which comes with unlimited low-speed data for $5.00 per month, perfect for backup connectivity and emergency use. These updates will take effect in 30 days. All of your other plan features remain the same. You are able to cancel your service at any time for no charge.”
SpaceX did not define how fast these “low speeds” will be. However, there are people who have tested the Standby Mode, and they reported speeds of about 500 kilobytes per second.
The mode is ideal for people who might deal with internet or power outages, but still need to have some sort of internet access.
It could also be used as a backup for people who want to stay with their ISP, but would like to have some sort of alternative in case of an outage for any reason.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk says this essential Tesla Robotaxi feature will be here soon
Tesla will work to solve automatic parking at available Supercharger stalls with future updates.
Elon Musk reiterated that one feature, which is ultimately an essential part of the operation of the Tesla Robotaxi platform, will be here soon.
Tesla released a new video of its longest Full Self-Driving demo yesterday, showing off a zero-intervention drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The drive is roughly seven hours and 360 miles long, and not a single need for the driver to touch the wheel was recorded.
Tesla flexes its most impressive and longest Full Self-Driving demo yet
There was one question that was brought up by an owner that brings up an interesting point. Tesla still needs to solve the vehicle’s ability to pull into Superchargers automatically, something that does not currently have a high success rate, at least for the owner who got a response from CEO Elon Musk.
Musk assured him that a Tesla’s ability to pull into open parking spaces at Superchargers would be more reliable with future software updates. Owners can see how many and which exact stalls are available before traveling to a Supercharger, so Teslas should be able to identify these stalls and pull in automatically:
Yeah, it will work essentially perfectly with future software updates
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 12, 2025
This is a small part of what will be imperative for the charging experience when Robotaxi launches in the coming years. Tesla plans to enable customer-owned cars to potentially enter the Robotaxi fleet and become an autonomous ride-sharing vehicle by next year.
However, it still needs to figure out autonomous charging. There are two parts to that process: pulling into the spot and charging without human need to connect the Supercharger to the vehicle.
Tesla used to consider a robotic snake-arm charger for this, but it has talked about induction charging more recently. Wireless charging seems to be the route that Tesla plans to go, but it might take some time to resolve the energy loss issue and make it an efficient charging method.
Tesla flexes Robotaxi wireless charging — autonomy from top to bottom
Tesla has said its wireless charging efficiency is “well above 90 percent.”
Nevertheless, Tesla is still working toward figuring out all of the edge cases of Robotaxi operation. Figuring out charging without the need of a human is just one part of the puzzle it still has yet to solve, but with its improvements over the past few years, there’s no doubt Tesla will find the missing piece.
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Tesla Superchargers get massive nod in new study showing reliability
It showed Tesla Superchargers had the highest score on the 1,000-point scale with 709. They also had the highest reliability, as respondents reported they only had failed charging visits at Tesla Superchargers four percent of the time.
Tesla Superchargers got a massive nod in a new study that showed reliability across EV charging suppliers as electric car ownership in the United States continues to grow.
J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study aims to find the most (and least) reliable charging suppliers for EV owners.
While charging has become much more popular over the past few years, thanks to the increase in sales of electric vehicles, they are still not quite as plentiful as gas pumps for combustion engine cars.
Tesla is rolling out a new ‘Supercharger queue’ in an effort to end one issue
For this fact alone, it is imperative that EV charging companies offer a fast and reliable product that will enable confidence and peace of mind for car owners. There are quite a few companies out there, but Tesla has the most expansive charging network, not only in the U.S., but globally.
It also has the most reliable chargers, a fact that was reiterated in this year’s J.D. Power study, which was released today.
It showed Tesla Superchargers had the highest score on the 1,000-point scale with 709. They also had the highest reliability, as respondents reported they only had failed charging visits at Tesla Superchargers four percent of the time. This beat out Electrify America at six percent, Red E at 10 percent, and EVgo and 12 percent.
🚨 Tesla Superchargers also scored the highest in a 1,000-point customer satisfaction scale with a score of 709.
It dropped 22 points from last year, but the study showed most complaints came from non-Tesla owners who said processing and payments were not as streamlined as they… https://t.co/myv5kOLkgY
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 13, 2025
These companies were the only ones to report failed charging visits below the average.
Tesla’s 709 score on the 1,000-point scale was a 22-point drop from last year, but the study said that most of the complaints came from non-Tesla owners.
Many non-Tesla EVs now have access to the company’s Supercharging Network, and the complaints came from those drivers as they stated the process and payment were not as streamlined for them.
Brent Gruber, Executive Director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, said:
“Tesla has facilitated an experience for its owners by creating an optimal technical environment that makes the charging process very easy to use and complete payments. That process isn’t quite as streamlined for non-Tesla owners.”
This likely came from the increased per-kilowatt-hour rate that non-Tesla owners are required to pay for having access to the company’s massive charging network.
For Tesla owners, reliability is not much of a concern. Apart from vandalism, it is pretty rare that a Supercharger stall is out of service, but, of course, it happens.
The important thing to note is that this study continues to show Tesla’s focus on keeping its charging network up and running, especially now that non-Tesla owners are able to utilize them.
SpaceX is rolling out a new feature to Starlink that could be a lifesaver
Elon Musk says this essential Tesla Robotaxi feature will be here soon
Tesla Superchargers get massive nod in new study showing reliability
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