Key Points
- Used Teslas fell 4% in value over the year to September 2026, while non-Tesla EVs fell 9.8%, according to Carma.
- The Tesla Model Y was the fastest-selling used car at Australian dealers from July to September 2026, taking 48 days on average to sell.
- A two- to three-year-old Model Y was priced 36.3% below its new drive-away price and a Model 3 was 27.6% below, Carma found.
Used Tesla models are losing value more slowly than other electric cars in Australia, according to new data from used car retailer Carma. In its Used Car Market Report: Spring Snapshot, released in October 2026, Carma said the same used Tesla was worth 4% less in September 2026 than a year earlier.
Non-Tesla EVs fell 9.8% over the same period, which Carma says is about $3,900 off a typical car. Used cars across the whole market fell 6.5%. Carma's figures cover the 12 months to September 2026, with data current as at 6 October 2026.
Used Teslas are falling at less than half the rate of other EVs
Carma measures price movement with a "same car" index. It holds make, model, age and kilometres constant, so the result reflects changes in value rather than changes in the mix of cars listed. Dealer demonstrators are excluded from these figures.
Used price change, year to September 2026
Segment | Change in same-car value |
Tesla | -4% |
All used cars | -6.5% |
Non-Tesla EVs | -9.8% |
Carma said the used EV figures are based on 10,290 used Teslas and 12,559 other used electric cars that have had an owner.
The report also says a used Tesla Model 3 was selling at around 54% of what it cost new.
The Model Y is the fastest-selling used car at dealers
Demand backs up the price data. Carma ranked the fastest-selling used cars at dealers from July to September 2026. Used cars at dealers took 85 days to sell on average over that period. The Tesla Model Y took 48 days, the fastest of any model in Carma's top 10.
Tesla in Carma's fastest-selling used cars ranking, July to September 2026
Model | Rank | Average days to sell | Typical price |
Tesla Model Y | 1 | 48 | $42,200 |
Honda Civic | 3 | 53 | $18,000 |
Toyota RAV4 | 6 | 55 | $37,900 |
Tesla Model 3 | 7 | 55 | $38,200 |
The Model Y finished ahead of the Honda Civic at 53 days and the Toyota RAV4 at 55 days. The Model 3 ranked seventh, also at 55 days. Carma counts a sale as a listing removed from sale, which it calls the closest available measure of one. Demonstrators are excluded.
How used Tesla prices compare with new
A smaller fall in resale value does not mean a used Tesla is cheap next to a new one. Carma compared the drive-away price of two- to three-year-old used cars sold from July to September 2026 with new drive-away prices advertised in the same months.
Used versus new drive-away price, two- to three-year-old cars
Model | Used, two to three years old | New, drive-away | Saving |
Tesla Model 3 | $46,910 | $64,800 | $17,890 (27.6%) |
Tesla Model Y | $47,411 | $74,431 | $27,020 (36.3%) |
Toyota RAV4 | $45,909 | $64,990 | $19,081 (29.4%) |
Toyota Corolla | $29,790 | $37,341 | $7,551 (20.2%) |
A used Model Y was 36.3% below its new drive-away price and a used Model 3 was 27.6% below. For comparison, the Toyota RAV4 was 29.4% below new and the Toyota Corolla 20.2% below new.
Why other EVs are falling faster
Carma points to supply. EVs priced under $35,000 made up 26% of the used EVs leaving the market in September 2026, up from 13% a year earlier. Of the 1,288 sold in September, 580 were dealer demonstrators, compared with about one in seven a year earlier. Carma said many of these are new Chinese models.
Carma also said Chinese-brand cars are reaching the used market faster than anything else. Listings by private owners rose 58% from August 2025 to August 2026, against 13% across the market. In the $20,000 to $35,000 range, the same Chinese-brand car fell 11.1%, against 8.7% for everything else.
What it means for buyers and sellers
Carma Director of Buying Peter Willis said buyers shopping around $30,000 should check the build date, kilometres and remaining new-car warranty. He said a demonstrator with about 200 kilometres and a full warranty is a very different car from a three-year-old car driven every day at a similar price.
For sellers, Willis said anyone selling a non-Tesla EV privately is competing with near-new demonstrators at a similar price. He advised checking what those cars are advertised for before setting an asking price.
What the data does not show
All prices in the report are advertised asking prices recorded when a listing came off the market, not the final price paid. Carma said it does not observe the negotiated price, and cars sold without appearing in a listing are not included.
The data also does not always separate a car that sold from one whose listing was withdrawn. In its used EV chart, Carma set aside 1,492 listings from Tesla's own stores that closed in one batch on 9 April 2026. It said these were new-car inventory, not sales.
