Aging EVs Are Piling Up on Dealer Lots and Prices Could Collapse

As newer EVs arrive with better range and tech, older electric models are getting stuck on dealer lots. Battery concerns, rapid depreciation, and shifting incentives are pushing prices down fast creating potential bargains for buyers willing to look past the hype.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

so, the mach-e, yeah. i dunno, i kinda wanted to love it. it’s “fun” on paper, right? electric mustang, fast, looks serious… but it’s, like, $45k for something that doesn’t roar. i drove one once and it felt like drinking decaf coffee when you expected a shot of espresso. silent. too silent. also i swear the interior smelled like plastic yoga mats. maybe that’s just me.

Tesla Model Y

ah, tesla. people still pretend it’s “cool” but i’m seeing these things pile up like leftovers. maybe folks got tired of the same egg shape? $50 grand-ish and the door handles still confuse my aunt every time. i kinda liked the “spaceship” vibe at first but now it’s just… cold. it’s like living in a white room with no art. weirdly soulless. fast though, i’ll give it that.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

this one’s funky. i actually like how it looks, like retro but from the future. still, i saw three on the same dealer lot last week just sitting there all gray. who orders gray for a car like that? anyway, around $42k. feels like an art student’s car, y’know? modern, clean, a little detached. i’d drive it. maybe. if someone else paid for it.

Volkswagen ID.4

the id.4’s fine. which is kinda its problem. like, it does everything okay but doesn’t make you feel anything. $39k-ish last time i checked and it already looked dated. i sat in one at a test drive thing and all i remember was static-y fabric seats and a touchscreen that froze mid-map. i laughed awkwardly and the guy said “yeah, it does that sometimes.” great.

Chevrolet Bolt EUV

cheap by EV standards, like $28k, and honestly kind of the underdog. but GM gave it that “half-baked but we tried” energy. the thing is, i actually like it. it’s small and zippy and looks like it could belong to someone who bikes to work but also drives to taco bell at midnight. the seats, though, man — felt like folding chairs. stiff. my back still remembers.

Nissan Ariya

this car confuses me. like, i keep forgetting it exists. then i see one, and go “oh yeah, that thing.” it’s sorta beautiful, in a “corporate zen garden” way, shiny copper two-tone whatever. i think they go for mid-40s? some trims hit $50k. too much. not gonna lie, i opened the trunk once and it smelled kinda… chemical. i closed it fast.

Kia EV6

the cool cousin of the Ioniq 5, right? it looks fast even when parked, like it’s judging your old car. but the hype’s fading. people don’t wanna spend $47k to wait for charging stations next to gas stations that smell like despair. still, i love the curves. if cars had personalities, this one’s the slightly cocky athlete who peaked early. still hot, though.

Cadillac Lyriq

okay the lyriq it’s wild seeing a cadillac go electric. it’s nice, yeah, but $60k nice? eh. i sat in one and the screen made me dizzy. there’s something about luxury EVs that feels like rich people trying too hard to look sustainable. the seats smelled amazing though. real leather? hope not. (kinda hope yes.)

Rivian R1T

so i saw one of these charging at a walmart and the guy looked like a tech startup dude who chopped wood for fun. it’s cool. it’s big. it’s like the “camping influencer” of trucks. but $70k… come on. i can think of things i’d rather do with that, like buying literally any other truck and going on an actual trip. still, i’d love to drive one just once, over puddles and stuff.

Lucid Air

this one’s like the sci-fi dream that somehow feels lonely. so sleek, so clean, so… quiet. it’s beautiful but almost too beautiful, like it doesn’t want to get dirty. i saw one up close and kinda whispered “wow” even though i didn’t mean to. then i saw the price tag, $80k+, and said “nah” out loud. it’s the kind of car that makes you want to apologize before sitting in it.