EV Sales Rebound and Used EV Deals Disappearing Soon?

[TheBar]

Here is an example of a place I used to be able to charge up. MiddleGate, NV. Population is under 20 people. It's on Highway 50 which out there is referred to as the "loneliest road in America":

-Don- Reno, NV

Come on Don. Not rural. There may not be that much traffic but there are towns all the way along HWY 50. MiddleGate is an unincorporated hamlet of 20 people that is actually part of a city. You don't find 10 things to do in a rural area. It is a very dangerous place to visit because the crime rate is 68 per 1000 residents which is a F rating.

 

[TheBar]

This is Mississippi and Louisiana from Memphis to Jackson MS. How many highways don't have chargers without a detour? This is rural.

 

[DonTom]

Come on Don. Not rural. There may not be that much traffic but there are towns all the way along HWY 50. MiddleGate is an unincorporated hamlet of 20 people that is actually part of a city. You don't find 10 things to do in a rural area. It is a very dangerous place to visit because the crime rate is 68 per 1000 residents which is a F rating.

Interesting. I never thought that much info would be available for Middlegate.

I assume one single crime is all it will take there to have a high crime rate.

All that is there is the very small RV park (a very dumpy one) and the restaurant and the two solar chargers, the DCFC does not work and I doubt if it will ever be replaced or repaired. I think they get all their power from a large Diesel generator that I have never seen NOT running and a few more KWs from the solar on the building with the chargers.

I assume the RV park is what has the high crime rate.

Your Plugshare maps isn't showing much info such as the distances between working charge stations. But ti look to me that any LR Tesla would have no problem out there.

How often do cars travel on rural roads without going trough a town with a charger fairly close by? Or a gas station for that matter?

Listing Austin, NV as well as Cold Springs Station "as something to do" is really stretching it. Austin, NV is 60 miles from Middlegate.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

have to sit for 30-60 minutes to just get home. Ridiculous.

15 to 20 minutes will be more realistic at a DCFC, if "home" is 150 miles away and battery is already near dead.

Some less, some more (many EVs these days charge at 350 KW, but my Chevy Bolt only at 55KW at a DCFC)

Here is a Tesla charge table for a V3 or V4 Supercharger (older Tesla Superchargers can be 150 KW). So all of this can vary in either direction depending on the car and the charger used.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[TheBar]

Your Plugshare maps isn't showing much info such as the distances between working charge stations. But ti look to me that any LR Tesla would have no problem out there.

How often do cars travel on rural roads without going trough a town with a charger fairly close by? Or a gas station for that matter?

-Don- Reno, NV

Really Don?

The map shows the entire width of Mississippi plus a good portion of east Louisiana. I count 2 dozen chargers in the entire area and its a sure bet many of them are not working. As the map shows there are not towns every 20 miles like in your "rural" area.

For instance from Louisville, MS to Jackson, MS is 93 miles. There are no towns along the way and only 2 gas stations surrounded by a few houses. Zero chargers. Note this is Hwy 25 which is a main artery four lane road. The only north-south route in the eastern 2/3 of Mississippi.

As I've explained before, in rural areas it is rare to stay on just 1 highway for 300 miles. Many routes would not have a single charger on 300 mile trips. Yes you could add an extra couple hours to a long trip by going out of your way to charge. That is ridiculous. It isn't to you but to most people time is important.

 

[DonTom]

I count 2 dozen chargers in the entire area and its a sure bet many of them are not working.

I just went to that map, centered on Greenwood, MS. Every DCFC I checked there is currently working. Most of them even show a "10" in the upper left hand corner. That goes from 1 to 10. 1 meaning it has not been working for anybody recently and 10 meaning it has worked for everybody. You can also check the check-ins to see what people who use them say.

With Tesla Superchargers, you can simply assume they are all working because they are the best maintained and most commonly used for longer trips.

But I see the issue, which will soon be fixed:

"As of 2022, there were 780 electric vehicles registered in Mississippi, representing just 0.04% of all vehicles in the state. By 2025, data indicates the state still had the fewest electric vehicles per capita in the nation, with only about 3 out of every 10,000 people owning an EV. Despite these low numbers, Mississippi is actively expanding infrastructure with a goal to add 30 new charging stations along major highways using $50 million in federal funding, with projects expected to be operational by 2026 or 2027. "
-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Last stat I read in the WSJ was that EV "in the U.S." sales" were down 30%-40% now that the subsidies are gone

I don't look at many "worldwide " statistics on much, and EVs especially would be a skewed number considering China, and many Socialist European countries.

 

[DonTom]

Last stat I read in the WSJ was that EV "in the U.S." sales" were down 30%-40% now that the subsidies are gone

Yes, used EV market is way up, so the new EV sales are way down.

Current new EV sales are down significantly, with the market experiencing a sharp decline following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit in September 2025.

• New EV Sales: New electric vehicle sales dropped by 28% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026, with January seeing a 41% collapse in registrations compared to the previous year.
• Market Share: The share of new EVs in total vehicle sales fell to approximately 5.8% in early 2026, down from nearly 12% in the third quarter of 2025.
• Used EV Market: In contrast, used EV sales are booming, rising by 12% year-over-year in Q1 2026 and 28.8% in February, driven by falling prices and a wave of lease returns.
• Regional Variance: While the U.S. market contracts, European EV registrations surged by 13.9% in January 2026, and global growth remains positive in regions outside the U.S. and Europe.

 

[TheBar]

Mississippi is actively expanding infrastructure with a goal to add 30 new charging stations along major highways using $50 million in federal funding, with projects expected to be operational by 2026 or 2027. "
-Don- Reno, NV

Yeah, 30 statewide would totally reverse the problem. That announcement was in 2022 to be funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Which has vanished into the ether after the election.

Your perspective is only from the western states. I'm fairly confident MS is not the biggest problem. Get away from the interstates in most midwestern states and you would likely have a problem finding chargers.

 

[TheBar]

Yes, used EV market is way up

Ah, that translates to EV owners dumping them as fast as they can. The fad is over. Beanie babies have really gone down in value too.

 

[DonTom]

That announcement was in 2022 to be funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Which has vanished into the ether after the election.

Not for long. IIRC, there was a court case over it. I will now check:

"Yes, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) remains fully in effect as of April 2026, having been signed into law on November 15, 2021, as Public Law 117–58. The legislation, which authorizes $1.2 trillion in total spending (with $550 billion in new investments), is designed as a five-year funding package covering fiscal years 2022 through 2026. "

Ah, that translates to EV owners dumping them as fast as they can.

Not exactly. There are a lot more of them these days. Lease returns and other such reasons. But most of the current EV owners do not want to unload theirs while the gasoline prices are raising fast.

BTW, you mention the big issue with the lack of chargers in some areas (which I agree with, but it is not the big problem that it used to be). Most in the USA use their car for less than 40 miles per day. so by far, it is mostly home charging.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[DonTom]

. The fad is over.

IMAO, it is ridiculous to think EV ownership is/was a fad. They are here to stay. I question how much longer ICE cars will exist.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[Big_John]

15 to 20 minutes will be more realistic at a DCFC, if "home" is 150 miles away and battery is already near dead.

Some less, some more (many EVs these days charge at 350 KW, but my Chevy Bolt only at 55KW at a DCFC)

Here is a Tesla charge table for a V3 or V4 Supercharger (older Tesla Superchargers can be 150 KW). So all of this can vary in either direction depending on the car and the charger used.

View attachment 2434834 -Don- Reno, NV

Out in the western US... will never do a full EV....

Just unwise to even consider. Plug-In Hybrid is the only possibility.... Always want a gas engine to back up...... especially in winter when a northern blows in and it is -15 and the EV has to blow hot air .... Any with a pure EV is screwed. I can count on many people's hands and toes how many EV's I have seen stranded on the side of the road between Denver and the Ski hills to the west. Just plain arrogant and dumb....

.............

 

[DonTom]

I can count on many people's hands and toes how many EV's I have seen stranded on the side of the road between Denver and the Ski hills to the west. Just plain arrogant and dumb....

Looking at Plugshare and the number of DCFCs in Denver and to the west, there is no excuse for any modern EV to run out of juice in that area.

"In cold weather, a Tesla typically experiences a 10–40% range loss, depending on temperature, driving conditions, and mitigation strategies. Under mild winter conditions (around 20°F / -6°C) with proper preconditioning, owners often see 15–25% reduction, while extreme cold (below -20°F / -29°C) or unprepared short trips can result in up to 50% range loss."

We will take the worse case, 50% loss. That will mean my Tesla will go around 150 miles at 65 MPH and out there it looks like I would have to pass countless charge stations in that 150 miles.

Range will increase greatly at slower speeds.

"As of early 2025, Colorado had more than 183,000 electric vehicles on the road, representing 3.76% of all light-duty vehicles. By the third quarter of 2025, this figure had surpassed 210,000 EV registrations, with 32.4% of new vehicle sales in that quarter being electric. "

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[RayIN]

15 to 20 minutes will be more realistic at a DCFC, if "home" is 150 miles away and battery is already near dead.

Some less, some more (many EVs these days charge at 350 KW, but my Chevy Bolt only at 55KW at a DCFC)

Here is a Tesla charge table for a V3 or V4 Supercharger (older Tesla Superchargers can be 150 KW). So all of this can vary in either direction depending on the car and the charger used.

View attachment 2434834 -Don- Reno, NV

Tesla will stop making the S and Y models this year per Elon.

 

[DonTom]

Tesla will stop making the S and Y models this year per Elon.

Yeah, I heard about that too. But there are still quite a few on the road and they will still be around for a while.

-Don- Reno, NV

 

[RayIN]

Yeah, I heard about that too. But there are still quite a few on the road and they will still be around for a while.

-Don- Reno, NV

Bought a new Culligan water softener Monday. The rep that came first was driving his wife's model Y. He said he parked his diesel pickup for the duration. He then said he recharges it every night and his monthly electric bill runs from $28-$30 more than before his wife bought the car. Not to shabby.

 

[weighit]

^^Bought a new Culligan water softener Monday. The rep that came first was driving his wife's model Y. He said he parked his diesel pickup for the duration. He then said he recharges it every night and his monthly electric bill runs from $28-$30 more than before his wife bought the car. Not to shabby.^^
Same thing happend to us, fellow that does garage floors came to give estimate, drove up in his Tesla. Said he was using his F250 truck to run around writing estimates, spending almost $200 per week in gas, now plugs in and he said under $50 per month added to his electric bill. Onlyuses the truck for the actual jobs.

 

[DonTom]

Same thing happend to us, fellow that does garage floors came to give estimate, drove up in his Tesla. Said he was using his F250 truck to run around writing estimates, spending almost $200 per week in gas, now plugs in and he said under $50 per month added to his electric bill. Only uses the truck for the actual jobs.

And that is a difference of $750.00 each month. One can lease TWO new cheaper EV cars with a total monthly payment of $750.00. Or buy one decent NEW EV. The oil companies can cut their own throats with the higher gasoline/diesel prices now that we have other choices--with no gasoline or engine oil required.

• "The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 available for lease at $312/month (36 months, 12,000 miles/year, $2,000 due at signing).
• Used EVs can offer payments as low as $310/month for a $18,000 loan over 72 months at 7% APR.
• The US average monthly car payment exceeded $770 in late 2025, making these specific lease deals significantly lower than the norm.
• Financing rates for new EVs from manufacturers like Ford, Hyundai, and Kia can be highly competitive, sometimes reaching 0%."

To be fair, let's compare his truck for an EV replacement with $750.00 per month to blow, but an expensive new one:

"The lowest reported monthly payment for a Tesla Cybertruck is $471, though this figure applies specifically to lease deals in Massachusetts with significant down payments. For most other buyers, lease payments typically start around $679 to $699 for all-wheel-drive models, while purchase financing with 1.99% APR can result in estimated payments as low as $885 per month (assuming $4,999 down). "


These higher gasoline prices probably could even tempt some of the EV haters to go EV and then they will probably turn into EV lovers!


-Don- Reno, NV

 

[TheBar]

These higher gasoline prices probably could even tempt some of the EV haters to go EV and then they will probably turn into EV lovers!

-Don- Reno, NV

It is not EV hating, EV is extra work. Down to having to plug in a charge cable every day when you get home. If you had a full time job you would know when you get home you can't wait to relax and unwind, not mess around with the freaking car. Getting grime on your hands and your best clothes every single day instead of once a weekend at a gas pump in your casual clothes. Versus you see charging the car as a fun and social activity.

You are an EV lover and proud to be a rebel in most aspects of your life. The problem is rebelling against normal is fighting a war you cannot win. Don, is your middle name Quixote?