Tesla is now offering trade-in options for Cybertruck owners, reversing its earlier policy that prohibited resale.

The original rule aimed to prevent scalping and protect brand integrity.

It may have also delayed trade-ins from owners unhappy with build quality issues or controversies involving CEO Elon Musk.

However, trade-in values show significant depreciation. One owner of a US$100,000 all-wheel-drive 2024 model with nearly 20,000 miles received a quote of US$63,100, a 37% drop.

Another owner of a US$127,000 Cyberbeast model, purchased eight months earlier, was quoted US$78,200, a 38% decrease.

🔗 Source: TechCrunch

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ EV depreciation follows predictable patterns that Cybertruck owners are now experiencing

The Cybertruck’s 37-38% value loss after just 8 months aligns with broader electric vehicle depreciation trends rather than representing a Tesla-specific issue.

Industry data shows EVs typically lose 30-50% of their value in the first year alone, compared to the slower depreciation of traditional vehicles 1.

This accelerated depreciation stems from several factors: rapid technological advancement making newer models more attractive, battery degradation concerns, and evolving market dynamics in the EV sector.

Luxury electric vehicles face even steeper depreciation curves, with analysis showing high-end EVs can lose up to 72.2% of their value over five years 2.

Tesla’s decision to allow trade-ins suggests they’ve recognized this inevitable depreciation curve and are adapting their policies accordingly.

The company may also be responding to increasing competition, as competitors like GM have doubled their EV sales while Tesla’s own sales declined by nearly 9% year-over-year in early 2025 3.

2️⃣ The maturing used EV market changes manufacturer strategies

Tesla’s shift from prohibiting resales to actively accepting trade-ins reflects a fundamental evolution in the used EV marketplace.

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