Farewell old friend. We traded in our “old” 2022 Tesla Model 3 today.

It was unexpectedly emotional to say goodbye. So many great road tripping memories.

2022 Tesla Model 3 RWD
White paint
+ White seats
+ Enhanced Autopilot
+ Boom box and Pedestrian Warning System
91,000km

We ended up just going with the Tesla trade in quote of $27k. We could possibly have got $35k if sold privately, but it would have taken time away from work. And since it’s a business purchase, trade-in was just simpler.

Our car was in great condition. It runs as well as the day we bought it. It has a few stone chips, paint chips around a side mirror (from reversing against a leaning wire fence), and a bent front license plate. I used my high tech equipment to straighten the plate. But I left the rest for Tesla to spruce up, since they have all the expertise for that. They can also replace the air filter and the rear tyres, which are due for replacement.

Trade-in was all managed through the Tesla app, including photos. Today they spent five minutes doing a final inspection, and gave it the all clear.

We tried several of the on-line “we’ll buy your car” services but they all offered less than Tesla, and didn’t offer an on-line quoting system.

When we bought the Tesla Model 3, nearly three years ago, a used Model 3 actually sold for a higher price than new, because of limited supply. But now, the used price of an EV is extremely low. Ours has depreciated by 50% after 2.7 years and 91,000km. That’s great news if you’re looking for a used EV, but not great if you’re selling. I suppose this was the intention of the government incentivising businesses to buy EVs, since 2022. Used EVs are now great value.