affordable car <-> used car
When a $5000 long-range battery system dies it could be replaced by a $2000 short-range battery system (paid for on a $50/month payment plan).
While we prefer to wait until a vehicle has been in production for at least 5 years to publish that model’s depreciation rates, we wanted to give you a sneak peek in how the Model 3 is doing so far... Early indications suggest that an average 3-year old Model 3 has retained 77% of its value since being purchased new in 2017. If these numbers hold up, that would give the Model 3 the highest residual values of any passenger car that we follow (over 300 models), and rate right up there with pick-up trucks, who are known for having great resale values. In contrast, the average popular (non-luxury) vehicle retains 62% of its value after 3 years, giving the Model 3 a sizeable advantage over just about everything.
https://caredge.com/blog/tesla-model-3-resale-value