A Tesla Model 3 Scalper Just Appeared On Craigslist, Did EV Competitor Purchase The Vehicle?
The first second-hand Tesla Model 3 unit recently appeared on Craigslist, and its asking price sure did not disappoint. With the supply for the vehicle incredibly low and the demand extremely high, the owner of Tesla’s VIN#209 Model 3 opted to part with the vehicle, for the reasonable price of $150,000.
The fact that a Model 3 unit would appear on Craigslist is not at all that surprising. The profit margin for the vehicle, after all, is incredibly huge right now, with more than 400,000 orders so far and only a few hundred being produced and delivered.
Being VIN#209, the Tesla Model 3 that appeared on Craigslist was owned by a Tesla employee, as reported in an Electrek report. According to the Craigslist listing, the vehicle is practically new, with only 2,000 miles on the odometer. The car is also fully loaded with all the Model 3’s current available options, including Tesla’s iconic Aero Wheels.
The poster admitted that the car was bought for $56,000, which all but classifies the Tesla employee selling the car on Craigslist as the very first Model 3 scalper. A $96,000 profit, after all, is no joke. That’s almost getting thrice as much as the EV was originally worth, as noted in a Jalopnik article.
Interestingly, the Craigslist ad disappeared as quickly as it showed up. The reasons behind its disappearance from the classified ads platform are unknown, though Tesla fans in the comments section of an Electrek article suspect that the vehicle might have ultimately ended up in the hands of one of Tesla’s primary competitors in the EV industry.
First #Model3 hits the used car market, VIN 209 goes on sale on Craig’s List for $150k, listed in Santa Cruz CA https://t.co/sQVcSxVJaZ pic.twitter.com/q7vBaD894m
— TheTeslaLife (@TheTeslaLife) October 11, 2017
After all, while paying $150,00 for Tesla’s entry-level vehicle seems ridiculous for a conventional consumer, such an amount is pocket change for a prominent, established auto firm that would love to get a headstart on reverse-engineering Elon Musk’s latest and possibly most disruptive creation.
“For $150k, the car will get many offers instantly. Every car company wants to get their hands on the car. To them there is no difference between $150k or $2 million, as long as they can study the car quickly,” wrote one commenter.
“BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Chevy, Nissan, Toyota, Renault, Volvo. Really, the list could go on. They would all love to get their hands on the ‘next big thing’ from the company trying to kill their business model,” wrote another.
Interestingly, the original owner of VIN#209 seemed to have broken one of Tesla’s rules with regards to the resale process of the Model 3. While present and former Tesla employees, as well as their respective family members, could get early access to the mass market EV, the upstart carmaker bars Model 3 owners to sell the car for anything more than its original price. Thus, by being a classic scalper on Craigslist, the owner of VIN#209 has actually broken one of Tesla’s rules.
What do you think happened to the first second-hand Model 3? Did VIN#209 get purchased by one of Tesla’s competitors, or did the owner of the listing just get in trouble from the carmaker? Sound off the in the comments below!
A saved copy of the now-deleted ad could be viewed here.
[Featured Image by Tesla]
