My Toyota FJ Cruiser is 17 years old. I bought it after I gave my original 2007 FJ to my son in 2018 when he headed off to college. I paid $15,000 for my current FJ. I’ve put 40k+ miles on it since then, and it’s now worth $14k+, and still going strong. My son is still driving his, but he’s tricked it out with larger tires, light bars and a nice stereo system. His is likely worth $20k. Are there any EVs that are 15+ years old? What is the value of the oldest EVs? What is the practical lifespan of an EV?
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I looked on AutoTrader for used Tesla Model Ys from 2021-2024. There were 4 out of 30 in my area that were $29K. The rest were in the $30s and 40s. Google says new Model Ys start at $42K.
To compare I looked up the Lexus NX which a search told me was one of the most popular ICE luxury sedans. I found about 60 used 2021-2024 in my area. 6 of them were $28-29K. The rest were in the $30s & 40s. List price for a base Lexus NX is $40K.
Seems pretty comparable in my area.
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There’s a 2012 Tesla in my area is going for $18K. About 7 2013 Teslas going from 16.5-21.5K.
Cheapest used Chevy Bolts I see are $14-16K. 2017 is the first year. They retail for $27.5K for the base model.
What was the original sticker price of this Tesla?
A 14 year old Tesla would probably have an old computer and there was some other component… I think maybe the sound system (but can’t recall) that had to be updated (and it cost maybe $1000) in order to take all of the latest software updates. Would also wonder if the big, main battery needed replacing. That could be a big expense.
And there have been a LOT of updates and upgrades in 14 years.
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The Tesla Model S started at $60K in 2012. For comparison sake, according to Kelly Blue Book, the Lexus ES MSRP in 2012 was 40K and the KBB value is now $10K.
Also to answer about the lifespan it really depends on the car. I’ve been driving my Chevy Bolt since we bought it new in 2017 and it’s still great. We had a Nissan Leaf before that, though, and those cars do not last. Different battery chemistry and cooling.
Also for comparison sake here’s your 2007 FJCruiser (BTW. we used to have some vintage FJ-40s back in the day). https://www.kbb.com/toyota/fj-cruiser/2007/
MSRP was $24K, used KBB value is now $14K. Holds its value pretty well.
The 2017 Chevy Bolt’s MSRP was $37K (before the $7500 tax rebate) and it now has a KBb value of $13K before the used clean vehicle tax credit ($30% of the price up to $4000)
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Can I be your son when you give away your current FJ? 
In terms of depreciation, the FJ Cruiser is not a good comparison. They’re highly sought after by enthusiasts.
FJ Cruisers and Land Cruisers hold their value well in the used car/truck market. Both Toyotas are considered desirable.
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The original Tesla Roadsters were sold from 2008-2012. The original MSRP was $100,000 +/-, depending on year and model.
Recent auctions on BaT are anywhere from $66,000 to $220,000, again depending on year, mileage and model.
A new Tesla Roadster for 2024 is coming to market for a base price of $200,000-250,000.
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LOL! I may drive this one until it dies.
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You’ve repeatedly introduced your 17 year old FJ Cruiser into this discussion, but while it am glad you that you so love your old vehicle, I fail to see the relevance to the conversation. That particular vehicle has been fetishized by a certain segment of consumers and so its price is high. But that’s far from typical. The vast majority of 17 year old automobiles are worth very little.
So why is your 17 year old vehicle the standard for comparison? Why not a typical 17 year old car? Typical 17 year old cars aren’t worth much.
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There are several EV companies that haven’t done as well trying to be early adopters, and the cars that don’t have the common plug standard (kinda like getting an 8 track tape player instead of the cassette, or Betamax vs VCR) are less desirable if the charging network isn’t in good repair. So it is not surprising that older EVs aren’t as popular in the used car market. Plus not only is technology evolving rapidly, but many of the newer Teslas are priced comparatively lower now (they shot up like crazy during covid, but have now dropped to try to capture the tax credits, etc) so people can buy a new car for about what they could get a used one for.
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This happened to me too with Volvo. My MY 2016 (purchased 2015) XC90 had a defective piston design that required the engine to be rebuilt after repeatedly failing the oil consumption test. Dealer made me pay for multiple tests before finally admitting the problem which turned out to be widespread and had already been subject to a settled class action lawsuit. One of the final straws for my spouse on not wanting another Volvo.
I wonder if this topic’s subject line is not serving its purpose anymore? Whatever the original discussion long ago, it seems most functional now as a topic about EV and hybrid cars. But continues to devolve into a place where some people who for personal reasons really don’t like EV or hybrid cars want to debate about why they suck from their POV. I’ve been reading this topic so long that every possible argument by then and in response to them has been said over and over again. We get it – some people don’t like them and some do. Whereas there’s plenty new to discuss for people actually in the market for EVs or Hybrids – new models, state of charging infrastructure, sales trends, deals, experiences with them, etc. What’s the point of just going around in a circle between the haters and the lovers?
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But why would anyone even consider buying an EV when they could own a 17 year old Toyota FJ Cruiser for only $14K+? 
I have no reported here but my daughter had an EV which she traded in and bought an ICE last fall.
She did find that the trade in value was not great but she was happy to trade it in
Many reasons why.
There wasn’t a place to charge the car after they bought their townhome. There was a charging station a block away but it became difficult to find one that was available. And not broken.
But mostly it was anxiety about mileage. She couldn’t drive to a friend’s without worrying about running out of a charge. She couldn’t take road trips without charging and there were no stations on the turnpike. It was a great car if it wasn’t her only car and sharing with her SO wasn’t an option. For reasons I’m not sure about.
So she traded it in. The trade in value wasn’t what she thought. But she’s extremely happy with her new car. It was an expensive experiment
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We didn’t have to pay a dime for any of the testing done 6 years ago on engine one, or this past fall on engine two. My car was a 2012…I was happy with how Volvo dealt with us on this issue. My car wasn’t worth nearly $8500 which is what we got from them in total toward our new S60 (which so far I love, BTW).
The topic is, “Will you buy an electric of hybrid car next?”
I don’t know, the latest discussion on quicker depreciation for EV vehicles is a good data point for someone contemplating a purchase. The topic isn’t really limited to only positive EV, or negative
ICE discussion. I personally have learned more about the differences between the ICE and EV platforms.
At this time I don’t believe I would choose to purchase an EV vehicle. I would look hard at hybrid platforms when I am ready to make another purchase. I personally appreciate the different points of view and the different experiences.
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As with all the car brands expect the EV-only ones, the experience is very dealer-specific. My dealer would have been perfectly happy to charge me thousands for the engine rebuild if I didn’t proactively point out that Volvo was supposed to cover it. They wanted me to pay $7,000 at my recently 90K service, or they were willing to take it off my hands for $7K (Blue Book says its worth $16K). I pushed back on some of the issues being my responsibly and they held firm there were. I then went to Volvo NA to complain and they ended up covering the biggest issue. I learned they would directly from them. Then the dealer called back and tried to take credit for getting Volvo to cover it as if they did me a favor. After that my wife was done with Volvo, probably forever, on principal. She told them kids never to get Volvos either, LOL…
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