Tesla’s New Pre-Owned Program: Power To The People

While Tesla has offered high quality electric vehicles since 2008 with the introduction of the Roadster, the price of their cars has always been out of reach for many would-be owners.
Starting late April, the winds of change blew as teslamotors.com has featured a “Buy Pre-Owned” tab on their website, allowing shoppers to browse a selection of certified used Model S cars. This update was overshadowed with the introduction of the Powerwall battery, but still represents an equally enormous leap forward for the company.

According to a Tesla representative, every pre-owned Model S comes with a 4 year, 50,000 mile limited warranty and the vehicles go up for sale following a 200 point inspection. The program competes very well against other longstanding luxury brands such as Audi, Mercedes, and BMW.
The quantities of Model S variants for resale should not be mistaken for consumer dissatisfaction; according to a Consumer Reports survey, 98% of owners said that they would definitely purchase another Tesla. It is more than likely that the newer all-wheel drive variants, the 70D and P85D, have attracted many customers to trade up.

At first, one might think that Tesla’s recent move has finally provided EVs for the masses. While this is an idealistic outcome, there are certain restrictions to widespread accessibility. The pre-owned program is only available in 11 U.S. metropolitan areas, so its scope is fairly limited. Additionally, the prices for nearly every model starts above $65,000, so shoppers on a budget are out of luck. Fortunately, the warranties from the first wave of Model S variants are due to expire, so potential buyers can expect to see a huge increase of online pre-owned listings.

This program represents a new development the automaker as it expands to have greater capacity to compete with other existing brands. A Tesla for the rest of may not be here now, but the savings from buying pre-owned still ensures a new segment of the U.S. will be able to get their hands on some all-electric goodness.

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