Until recently, Tesla had a no trade-ins policy on the Cybertruck, owing in part to difficulty moving the stock they already had. Business is all about supply and demand, after all, and you need both to turn a profit. And let’s not forget the first rule of acquisition: once you have their money, never give it back.
The automaker has finally reversed course on what was, let’s be honest, a preposterous way of doing business, and if you’re feeling buyer’s remorse, or you want to swap that Cybertruck for a Model X, you are now free to do so… if you’re willing to eat a loss. Some of the trade-in offers being reported are no doubt turning even the most loyal Tesla fans into jaded Rivian buyers.
The following is based on owner-reported trade-in values and data from used vehicle resources like CarEdge and Kelley Blue Book. Values may differ based on location and condition of the car.
Cybertrucks Are Losing At Least A Third Of Their Value In The First Year
It’s a given that you lose the biggest chunk of value to depreciation the minute you drive your car off the lot. This is true whether we’re talking Tesla or Toyota. But, if we look at the RAV4, for instance, you’re only losing about a 10th of your initial value after the first year, according to CarEdge. At five years in, your SUV should still be worth nearly 70% of its initial sale price. A RAV4 is still worth close to half of its original MSRP a full decade after the point of sale.
Toyota may be a bit of an outlier here, but a Chevy Silverado is still worth 70% of its original sale price after a year. A Hyundai Tucson brings in 80% of its MSRP after a year on the road. You expect to lose around 20% of the value in year one, give or take. Teslas are losing nearly twice that in the same stretch of time.
You’re Better Off Reselling It Than Trading It In
CarEdge estimates the Cybertruck only loses around 15% of its value in year one, and Kelley Blue Book puts the fair market price for a year-old Cybertruck at around its original MSRP. But it’s a whole different story when you get it from the horse’s mouth. Owners are reporting their Tesla Cybertruck trade in value depreciation as being as steep as 38% when they bring the pickup around to the dealer to get an offer, according to a report from Business Insider.
Before you ask, no, these owners aren’t putting insane mileage on the trucks. One driver reports being offered $76,200 for his Cyberbeast (for which he initially paid $118,000, before taxes) after putting just 19,623 miles on the odometer. This amounts to just 62% of the truck’s initial value after eight months of ownership.
Are You Even Allowed To Resell Your Cybertruck?
Tesla’s ownership clauses can be difficult to navigate. Early on, Cybertruck owners were initially not allowed to sell their Cybertrucks at all within the first year of ownership. According to the fine print, doing so could incur penalties including resellers being banned from ever buying another Tesla, or even sued for damages to the tune of $50,000.
And this isn’t all tough talk. Tesla has sent emails out to resellers noting that any future orders placed will be canceled without so much as refunding the $350 they spent on reservation and order fees.
Check The Fine Print
Tesla reversed their overreaching no-resale policy sometime around summer last year, perhaps owing to the fact that it can be difficult to enforce, or simply because it makes for bad press when you release a heavily criticized product and then tell people they’re not allowed to get rid of it. The trade-in rule was reversed more recently, but the brand’s piddly Tesla Cybertruck trade-in value in 2026 has owners feeling like nothing has really changed.
Note that you should probably read the policy on the Tesla website yourself before you list your Cybertruck for sale or drive it across town for a trade-in. Tesla has dropped and reinstated the resale rule in the past, and there’s no guarantee that the brand has finally “made its mind up for good” this time.
How Do Competing Electric Pickups Depreciate?
|
2026 Base MSRP |
Five-Year Depreciation Estimate* |
|
|
Rivian R1T |
$79,990 |
55.1% |
|
GMC Hummer EV Pickup |
$97,200 |
40% |
|
GMC Sierra EV |
$62,400 |
40% |
|
Chevrolet Silverado EV |
$61,900 |
61% |
|
*Estimates courtesy of CarEdge and iSeeCars |
||
The only electric pickup that seems to be tracking the Cybertruck’s whopping 38% first-year depreciation would be the Silverado EV, since it manages to hold about 60% of its value after its first year on the road. According to CarEdge, the model continues to hold that value for its first five years.
The Ford F-150 generally keeps track with the ICE version of the pickup, but the Sierra EV actually retains much more of its value than its gas-powered counterpart. A GMC Sierra 1500 holds a meager 63.21% of its initial value after year one. Meanwhile, the gas-powered Silverado retains 70.16% of its value after the first year, outpacing its electric sibling by more than 10%.
We’re In Uncharted Waters
The only clear pattern you can draw from the depreciation rates on electric pickups, across the whole segment, is that these numbers are all over the place. The Sierra EV retains its value better than most vehicles on the market, but the Silverado EV is barely worth half its MSRP after just a year on the road. EVs seem to depreciate more quickly than comparable ICE vehicles, but it’s not hard to find exceptions to that rule.
The oldest of these vehicles, the Rivian R1T, only dates back to 2020. There’s simply not enough data to know what you can “generally expect” a battery-powered pickup to cost five, 10 years after the date of purchase. Not to mention, none of these trucks predate the pandemic, which hit automotive prices like a stick of dynamite, so there aren’t many historical precedents we can look at to make even an educated guess. Tesla Cybertruck loss of value might continue to get worse as the brand’s image falls off the face of a cliff.
A New Electric Truck Is Coming That Might Hold Value Better
It’s extremely common for basic economy cars to hold their value better than sports cars, most electric vehicles, and luxury models. That said, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the same principle applied to the upcoming Slate Truck. Electric trucks like the Cybertruck and Silverado EV lose 60% of their value in a short time — that adds up quickly when the initial prices are tens of thousands of dollars more than the average price for a new car.
The Slate Truck cuts the average new car price in half with its starting price of $24,950 before destination and options. Of course, it’s a rather simple, boring truck before options. It doesn’t even come with a stereo or power windows without paying extra. However, the lack of complex or expensive features may result in a truck that can hold value better. Even if it does lose just as much value (let’s say 50% in five years), the total hit could be only ten grand instead of $30k or more.
- Base Trim Engine
-
EV
- Base Trim Transmission
-
Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
-
All-Wheel Drive
- Base Trim Horsepower
-
600 HP
- Base Trim Torque
-
521 lb.-ft.
- Base Trim Fuel Economy Equivalent (city/highway/combined)
-
85/72/79 mpge
- Base Trim Battery Type
-
Lithium ion (Li-ion)
Sources: Business Insider, CarEdge, Kelley Blue Book, Tesla.