Tesla vehicles have already proven to hold their value better than other vehicles in their segment, but there can be a significant difference depending on the paint color.
Here are the Tesla paint colors that best hold their value.
Due to Tesla being a relatively new brand and the variables of EV battery loss unknowns and subsidies, there were some initial concerns about how the vehicles would hold their value over time, but studies in the US show that Tesla vehicles still hold their value better than competition on the used market.
Autolist states that “the Model S declined on average by 27% after accumulating 50,000 miles,” and in comparison, the firm says that “the overall segment declined by an average of 36% after 50,000 miles.”
We have seen similar positive data coming out of China last month.
Now, a new study from iSeeCars “analyzed more than 4.1 million vehicles to determine which car colors are more likely to provide used car deals.”
For the Model S, Brown, Gray, and Green paint colors offer the biggest discounts. Those three colors have been discontinued.
| iSeeCars Ranking of Tesla Model S Deals by Color | ||
| Rank | Color | % Deals Compared to Model Average |
| 1 | Brown | 25.6% |
| 2 | Gray | 7.1% |
| 3 | Green | 6.7% |
| 4 | Blue | 1.9% |
| 5 | Black | -0.6% |
| 6 | White | -6.2% |
| 7 | Silver | -6.2% |
| 8 | Red | -11.2% |
On the other hand, Red, Silver and White, three paint colors still available today, have been holding their value better than the other options.
It’s actually the contrary for the Model X paint options:
| iSeeCars Ranking of Tesla Model X Deals by Color | ||
| Rank | Color | % Deals Compared to Model Average |
| 1 | Blue | 9.8% |
| 2 | Red | 9.5% |
| 3 | Silver | 5.8% |
| 4 | Gray | 0.4% |
| 5 | Black | -9.8% |
| 6 | White | -10.9% |
Although, the Model X has been available with fewer paint options.
Tesla has been limiting the number of paint colors available on its vehicles over the last few years.
CEO Elon Musk says that it helps reduce complexities and improve the production output of its paint shop at the Fremont factory.
It also helps to reduce inventory complexities for body parts held by Tesla service centers.
Electrek’s Take
This is actually surprising to me.
Brown and green are probably the rarest Model S colors, and they look awesome in my opinion:
I know that they weren’t really popular in the first place, but I’d think there wouldn’t be that big of a discrepancy in values.
If you are on the market for a used Model S, I’d be on the lookout for a good deal on one in brown or green.
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