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Sometimes people regret buying the wrong cars. Tesla owners who boldly made the switch to electric vehicles are turning back to gas-powered vehicles at an alarming rate. Tesla is supposed to have incredible brand loyalty, so what’s going on?

Nearly half of Tesla owners are switching back to gas cars 

Why are Tesla owners regretting their decision to buy an electric vehicle? So far in 2024, over half of the Tesla models being traded in are being traded for traditional gas-powered vehicles. This is almost unique to Tesla, but 46% of all EV owners want to switch back to gas. 

About 51% of traded Tesla models from January to July were traded for gas vehicles and about 31% for traded for different EV models. Factor in hybrids and the first figure increases to 57%. 

In 2019, 71% of Tesla vehicles were traded in for gas cars and 18% were traded for hybrid models. Only 10% of trade-ins were for other electric vehicle brands. 

This doesn’t exactly mean that Tesla is improving. But instead of trading in a Tesla to get back to gas in 2019, more people are turning to EVs produced by domestic brands like Ford. Also, Hyundai and Kia are experiencing positive electric vehicle growth. 

The 2024 Tesla Model 3 parked on the pavement
2024 Tesla Model 3 | Tesla

Five years ago, Tesla was the primary EV brand, there weren’t very many electric competitors to consider. But the push to go green has more automakers joining the EV space. Meanwhile, Tesla has been a bit stagnant for the past five years. 

It doesn’t help that Tesla models are pretty dangerous for drivers. The Tesla Cybertruck arrived with too many issues to count. 

People have proven that the Tesla self-driving system can’t detect if someone is in the front seat or not. Other brands are safer with higher rates of quality. Other brands have better working conditions too. 

The last leg Tesla had to stand on was its large, efficient charging station network. But legacy automakers have joined the North American charging standard (NACs) and their EVs can now access charging stations. 

Tesla owners aren’t necessarily switching back to gas-powered cars because they don’t like EVs. It’s just that benefits from legacy automakers show that the grass can be greener on a different side.

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Staff Writer

Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.