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A driver who took his one-year-old Tesla in for a valuation was left stunned at the figure offered — despite owning the car for only a short period of time.
As most motorists know, cars shed value as soon as they leave the showroom. Barring rare future classics, most of us face steep depreciation after just a few years.
But how drastic is that drop? One content creator decided to put his Tesla to the test.
YouTuber Harley Perkins, who posts videos about cars, vans and bikes — often giving advice to new drivers on UK roads — decided to see what his Tesla Model Y would be worth at WeBuyAnyCar.
He shared the whole process in a short video that has since gone viral across social media.
Harley explained that after forking out £52,000 for the electric SUV a year earlier — and putting less than 15,000 miles on the clock — he was curious to see what price the car-buying service would offer.
He noted that similar Teslas were going for around £36,000–£37,000 on AutoTrader before unveiling the surprising offer.
In the video, the WeBuyAnyCar inspector told him the car was valued at just £27,132 — almost half the original price of the American-built EV.
Asked to justify the valuation, the employee explained the Tesla was graded as a ‘Grade 2’ car. That means it had a few chips or blemishes, as only a ‘Grade 1’ vehicle is considered to be in perfect showroom condition.
Commenters were left shocked by the valuation so soon after purchase.
The Express reached out to WeBuyAnyCar for comment.
One viewer wrote: “Over 2k a month loss, great way to lose money,” while another chimed in: “F**k mate, that’s horrendous.”
Some viewers questioned the accuracy of the valuation programme used by the buyer, while others suggested the steep drop was partly due to the car being electric.
In short, depreciation is a harsh reality — so don’t be too surprised if your own motor takes a similar hit.
