The demand for EVs has skyrocketed in the US, and it's primarily thanks to Tesla. Many prospective EV owners have likely considered a Tesla, but prices are high, and wait times are long. This is why many folks have taken to the pre-owned market to find a Tesla they can afford and take delivery of immediately. In fact, a Tesla executive claims the brand's used car division is much bigger than people may realize.
For those unaware, while Tesla sells all of its own new cars direct to consumers, it also sells its own used cars. This is not to say you can't buy a used Tesla at any other used car retailer, but Tesla's online used car listings are definitely an option.
Tesla makes an attempt to run all of its businesses itself, with as little help or support as possible from outside companies, suppliers, etc. We hear about this all the time related to a number of topics, but there's not a whole lot of talk about Tesla's used car business. We do know that its cars hold their value exceedingly well, and that, despite the high prices, used Teslas also tend to sell better than rivals' models.
According to Jimmy Douglas, Tesla's director of sales and delivery operations, the company's used car business actually parallels "some publicly traded used car retailers.” He didn't mention which retailers, but it seems he's probably making a reference to companies like Carvana, CarMax, and Driveway. He said, according to Electrek:
"Most people don’t realize that Tesla runs its own vertically-integrated, nationwide online used car retailer. It’s as big as some publicly traded used car retailers you’ve definitely heard of, despite no Super Bowl commercials or wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men."
Electrek points out that Douglas' words would be difficult to confirm. The company's public filings wouldn't separate out the used business independent of other related services and operations outside of its new car sales. That said, according to the publication, Tesla's "service and other" line item, which includes its used car sales, is up over 50 percent year over year.
The executive went on to shed light on a new Tesla job listing. It was posted by the company's manager of Used Car Quality, Alex Liebl. To no surprise, Tesla's used car department is in the process of expanding.
Douglas noted that the used car team is "distributed across North America, ensuring every used Tesla meets our quality standards, so we can delight every customer at the point of delivery. Since Tesla doesn’t advertise, delighted used car customers are our version of Super Bowl commercials."
