Man bought $140,000 Tesla Model S two years ago and is shocked to see how much it's worth now

Published on Sep 01, 2025 at 6:55 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid

Last updated on Sep 01, 2025 at 6:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

A man who bought a $140,000 Tesla Model S two years ago was left shocked after discovering how much the EV was now worth.

The Model S is Tesla’s longest running nameplate, and has been in production since 2012. 

The car has won a bunch of awards, including Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, and Ultimate Car of the Year.

But one owner has been left shocked after finding out the trade-in price for his 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid.

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The Tesla Model S is worth a lot less than it once was

Alongside tech, like mobile phones and laptops, cars have a high rate of depreciation – meaning they lose their value quickly once bought. 

Electric vehicles appear to be impacted much more than gas-powered vehicles, at least for the moment.

We’ve seen a handful of EV owners left reeling after finding out what their car is now worth, like this Tesla owner who took his car to WeBuyAnyCar and this UK man who owns this Porsche Taycan, which he claims is now ‘worthless’

Back in the US, Kyle Conner took to X to share a couple of screenshots that highlighted just how much value his Tesla Model S had lost in a two-year period. 

He posted the shots in October last year, with the first one revealing he had spent $140,940 to get a black 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid. 

The next shot showed the trade-in estimate for the Tesla after two years and 37,191 miles on the clock – just $46,400. 

Sharing the screenshots, Conner wrote simply: ‘depreciation’.

It’s important to note that Conner bought when the Model S Plaid was more expensive than it is now.

The car currently has a starting price of $89,990 for a 2025 model. 

Nonetheless, seeing almost $100,000 wiped off the value of your car in just two years is sure to sting a little.

The Model S topped a study on highest EV value loss

The Tesla Model S topped a study measuring EV value loss over 10 years. 

The study, undertaken by Boohoff Law, analyzed the manufacturers’ suggested retail price back in 2015 and compared it to the average resale price in 2025.

It looked at 18 EVs in total, and the car that had the greatest depreciation between 2015 and 2025 was the Tesla Model S, dropping from $95,600 in 2015 to $9,800 in 2025.

That’s a decrease of 89.75 percent.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie

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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.