Trade-ins at a record high: Many US citizens are trading in their Teslas

TAGESSPIEGEL Trade-ins at a record high: Many US citizens are trading in their Teslas Elon Musk's political commitment is making itself felt at car dealerships in the US. More and more Tesla owners are getting rid of their cars. March 21, 2025, 2:33 p.m. Many Tesla owners in the US are trading in their electric cars at dealerships. This is reported by "Wirtschaftswoche," citing Edmunds statistics published on Thursday. According to the report, Tesla vehicles from model year 2017 onwards accounted for 1.4 percent of all vehicles traded in at dealerships up to March 15. This is a record figure. The Tagesspiegel app: Current news, background information, and analyses delivered directly to your smartphone. Plus the digital newspaper. Download for free here. Trade-ins are a popular option when buying a car. The dealer accepts the used car when the customer purchases a new car. According to "Wirtschaftswoche," Teslas accounted for 1.2 percent of trade-in vehicles in the US in February alone, following Donald Trump's inauguration. The March figure was the highest monthly share of Tesla trade-ins for new or used car purchases in the US to date. A day among Tesla drivers: "I'm embarrassed by the car now, too." The automaker is under pressure. Its share price has halved, there are protests in front of dealerships in the US, and criticism of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's influence on politics is growing worldwide. His position as Trump's government advisor, for example, is met with displeasure. For example, he is responsible for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is laying off civil servants en masse and cutting government funding. Musk has also been increasingly involved in international politics for months, primarily supporting right-wing populist and far-right parties. In Germany, he repeatedly and openly campaigns for the AfD.