WSJ on EV Depreciation

[Jonathan S.]

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/...-work-out-where-to-go-next-337da117?st=MNWB87

Actual quote from this investigative journalism:

“Used EV prices are generally low because of depreciation […]”

In a development that could be related, WSJ reporters have learned that EV depreciation is high because used EV prices are generally low.

The funny part was that previously the WSJ hailed this as a good development:

https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/ev-used-car-gas-prices-57623274?st=7A1P9K

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[Jonathan S.]

Whatever you do though, just don’t buy one of those EV models prone to spontaneous combustion.
The WSJ [edit: Washington Post, sorry, wrong newspaper!] article spends almost no time on the actual numbers.
According to the article, 2023 was attributable to Hyundai/Kia.
Otherwise, the average for 2024-26 might end up being lower than the average for 2020-22.

 

[snstevens]

Not to overanalyze this, but the article is also in the Washington Post here, and it starts out talking about the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid, but the picture is a Ford, and it unclear if the Ford is even an EV (if anyone knows please respond).

 

[Jonathan S.]

Not to overanalyze this, but the article is also in the Washington Post here, and it starts out talking about the Jeep Wrangler plug-in hybrid, but the picture is a Ford, and it unclear if the Ford is even an EV (if anyone knows please respond).

Whoops, sorry, I cited the wrong newspaper -- my mind must be addled from competing newspaper overload by reading the Boston Globe too much this week for updates on the Commonwealth's latest Trial of the Century.
(Gotta admit, between *TWO* Karen Read trials and now this, Massachusetts is just killing it lately with livestreaming of murdress trials.)

Funny how since I took that screen capture, the bar graph showing a pretty much steady number of recalled vehicles from 2020 through 2026 with the exception of 2023 has now been replaced with a line chart for number of vehicle recalls (i.e., the 17 recalls this year could represent a trivially small number of vehicles).

And good eye with that Ford! The trunk clearly shows a sedan. So could be a Fusion PHEV, which hasn't been made since 2020. Or could be, hmm, are those TX plates? So perhaps it was hit by an RPG fired from across the border by a Mexican cartel paramilitary force ...?

 

[snstevens]

And good eye with that Ford! The trunk clearly shows a sedan. So could be a Fusion PHEV, which hasn't been made since 2020. Or could be, hmm, are those TX plates? So perhaps it was hit by an RPG fired from across the border by a Mexican cartel paramilitary force ...?

That's it for sure

 

[chris-boson]

My hypothesis, EV depreciation is mostly due to the fast pace of improvements in the last few years. I'd argue we're now starting to hit a plateau where the technology has matured to the point of diminishing returns for practical use.

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