Used Tesla vehicle prices increased by 4.3% from September 2025 to January 2026, bucking the trend of falling prices in the rest of the used EV market. This rise occurred after the federal EV tax credit ended on September 30, 2025, leading to a 20% drop in used EV market share. Non-Tesla used EVs saw prices decline by 3.6% during the same period.
The federal EV tax credit, which provided $4,000 to buyers of used electric vehicles, expired on September 30, 2025. In the four months following, the used EV market experienced significant shifts, according to an iSeeCars study analyzing list prices of over 1.7 million 1- to 5-year-old used cars and more than 4 million new vehicles sold in September 2025 and January 2026.
Overall, average used EV prices rose 3.5%, from $29,637 to $30,666, driven largely by Tesla models. Used Teslas climbed from $30,040 to $31,329, a 4.3% increase. In contrast, other used EVs, excluding the Porsche Taycan, fell 3.6%, from $24,629 to $23,738. Used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles declined 2.0%, from $31,900 to $31,249.
At the model level, Tesla's higher-end vehicles saw the largest gains. The Model S price jumped 8.5%, from $47,226 to $51,249, while the Model X rose 10.3%, from $51,973 to $57,306. The Model 3 increased 2.6%, and the Model Y gained 1.3%. Mainstream non-Tesla EVs faced steeper declines: Hyundai Kona Electric down 6.4%, Volkswagen ID.4 down 6.2%, Kia Niro EV down 5.2%, and Ford Mustang Mach-E down 5.1%.
The used EV market share for 1- to 5-year-old vehicles dropped from 3.5% in September 2025 to 2.8% in January 2026, a 20.0% decrease. This contrasts with a 19.5% increase in share during the same period a year earlier. On the new vehicle side, average prices for non-Tesla EVs declined 2.3%, from $63,327 to $61,860, while new ICE vehicles rose 2.5%, from $46,290 to $47,427.
Tesla's price resilience may be linked to its decision to cease production of new Model S and Model X vehicles by the end of the second quarter of 2026, potentially reducing future supply and increasing demand for existing used models.
