You don’t expect to be heckled when you drive an electric car to the grocery store in Los Angeles, where I live. However, as I rolled by with the windows down one recent afternoon, two men on bikes yelled, “Fuck you, Tesla guy,” after spotting the Tesla logo on the front of my car.
After my wife and I relocated from New York to Los Angeles in 2019, I needed a car, so I purchased a Tesla Model 3. We got the most useful EV we could afford because we didn’t want to burn gasoline. That car has a different meaning now, six years later.
Following Elon Musk’s MAGA embrace and his ruthless management style at DOGE, Tesla has emerged as a major protest target. In response to recent weeks of vandalism and even destruction of Tesla vehicles nationwide, protesters marched outside all 277 Tesla showrooms and service facilities in the United States on Saturday.
This wasn’t the first time I’d been yelled at since the election, even in Los Angeles, where Teslas are as common as Fords and aren’t primarily seen as right-wing totems. Those Tesla owners who oppose Musk are defending themselves. Bumper stickers like “I bought this before Elon went crazy” have started to appear. Others are just finished.
Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona also sold his Tesla, stating that he couldn’t bear to own a vehicle that serves as a “rolling billboard for a man dismantling our government and hurting people.” Sheryl Crow sold her Tesla and donated the proceeds to NPR. EV brands like Lucid and Polestar provide enticing offers to Tesla drivers seeking a way out, and eight-year-old or newer Teslas now make up 1.4 percent of all car trade-ins, up from 0.4 percent a year ago.
“It’s clear that many people are saying, ‘You know what? AutoPacific analyst Robby DeGraff told me, “I don’t want to be associated with the trash that’s going on right now around Elon Musk.” I’m simply going to sell my car.”
There is an excess of politically tainted used cars as a result of the Great Tesla Sell-Off. A 2021 Model 3 for sale near me, which would have cost over $50,000 new, is now surprisingly inexpensive at less than $20,000. You should think about purchasing one even if you dislike Musk.
It’s hard to imagine a Tesla as anything other than Musk’s incarnation in this DOGE craziness. However, Elon doesn’t profit from the used Model Y you purchase. When the symbolism is removed, an old Tesla is just a decent, reasonably priced vehicle.
No, if you’re angry with Musk, you shouldn’t purchase a new Tesla. He is directly harmed by the boycotters’ rejection of these cars. It lowers sales, which damages Tesla’s financial results and depresses the value of its stock.
Musk is now the richest person in the world thanks to Tesla’s incredible valuation, which is supported by both the company’s sales numbers and a cult of personality: Despite selling six times as many cars as Toyota, the company’s value was three times higher in 2024. Nevertheless, Tesla’s stock has lost billions of dollars due to declining sales in the US, Europe, and Australia.
Purchasing a used Tesla could seem equally unprofessional. However, it isn’t. The sustainability question should come first. Liberals who oppose Musk would undoubtedly concur that more Americans should switch to electric vehicles in order to reduce carbon emissions.
Since EVs make up only around 10% of all registered cars in America, a buyer of a used Tesla is probably replacing an outdated gas-burner. The change could be permanent: Over 90% of EV owners declare that they will never use combustion again.
Most Tesla apologists are moving to electric vehicles from other brands, like Chevy, Lucid, and Kia, rather than running away to the V-6’s polluting purr.
Additionally, used Teslas assist in addressing the primary barrier to American electric vehicle adoption: cost. EVs are typically more expensive than gas or hybrid vehicles, even with government tax credits.
However, used EVs are surprisingly inexpensive. According to Brian Moody, a senior staff editor at Kelley Blue Book, there are several reasons why electric cars generally lose value more quickly than gas-powered vehicles, including dwindling battery life and used car buyers’ lack of familiarity with the technology. All of this benefits buyers but hurts sellers.
The majority of used EVs were Teslas even prior to the Great Tesla Sell-Off. The numbers don’t lie: Tesla sold almost 80% of the nation’s electric vehicles just five years ago. Tesla’s dominance is eroding now that almost all of the major automakers sell EVs, but the majority of those non-Tesla EVs have not yet found second owners.
Even though used Teslas were already reasonably priced, they are now becoming even more so. As more entered the market, the average transaction price for a used Tesla dropped from almost $32,000 in November to roughly $30,400 in early March, according to Moody’s. According to reports, Tesla’s resale value is declining three times as quickly as the market for used cars as a whole.
Most importantly, Musk isn’t getting paid unless you buy a used Tesla straight from the company. Purchasing a used Tesla can help you avoid his other sources of income.
Since so few auto mechanics specialize in electric vehicles, hiring Tesla to do the work is much simpler (and sometimes safer) than taking a chance on your local repairman. Tesla, like all automakers, maintains a network of service centers to fix its vehicles.
You could take your old Model Y to an independent shop without losing any coverage, though, as a used car is probably past its four-year basic warranty.
And then there’s the charging issue. It is true that Tesla has a very good and convenient network of Superchargers. However, that applies to more people than just Tesla owners.
The industry as a whole has embraced Tesla’s plug standard in recent years, allowing EVs from numerous other brands to use the company’s fast-charging stations. Rivian owners who despise Musk may still have to pay him for kWh in an emergency.
However, it’s not as hard as you might think to avoid them. Since plugging in a car is still more complicated and time-consuming than pulling into the closest Shell, EV newcomers often worry about charging. However, the anxiety is often overstated.
Approximately 80% of EV owners charge their vehicles mostly at home, which supplies enough electricity for daily use. Drivers can arrange in advance to visit non-Tesla charging stations when on road trips.
Of course, you might still get yelled at while shopping for groceries if you drive a used Tesla. In 2025, purchasing a Tesla of any kind may almost seem like a tacit endorsement of the brand or an invitation to get graffitied.
However, if you ignore the aesthetics—which is no easy task—a used Tesla is just as climate-friendly as all the Ford Mustang Mach-Es and Chevy Bolts that don’t have any MAGA baggage.
Elon and the environment are not harmed by refusing to use an outdated Model 3. However, it prevents you from obtaining a favorable bargain. An apology bumper sticker that reads, “I bought it from someone who bought it before Elon was crazy,” might help ease your anxiety.
