EVMath.

EV Depreciation Calculator: What Will Your EV Be Worth?

Pick the car, the price, and how long you'll keep it. Get the resale value, the loss per year, and how far it trails the average gas car — from measured five-year rates, not rules of thumb.

Estimated resale value after 5 years

$18,986

That's $26,004 gone (57.8% of $44,990), or about $5,201 a year — roughly 15.8% of remaining value annually.

This EV
$18,986
57.8% five-year depreciation
Average vehicle
$26,184
41.8% five-year depreciation
Difference
$7,198
less resale than the average car

Same $44,990 spent, same 5 yearsof ownership. The “average vehicle” benchmark is the study's all-powertrain average, which itself includes EVs — an ICE-only average would sit a little lower, making this gap slightly wider, not narrower. Depreciation is only one column of the ledger: fuel and maintenance run the other way, which is what the EV vs Gas TCO Calculator settles.

What the federal tax credit does to this

The §30D credit ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so this defaults to $0. Enter a state rebate if you qualify for one.

What the car cost you
$44,990
What it's worth in 2031
$18,986
Depreciation you actually eat
$26,004

Year by year

YearValue at year endLost that yearLost since new
2027 · yr 1$37,860−$7,130−$7,130
2028 · yr 2$31,860−$6,000−$13,130
2029 · yr 3$26,810−$5,049−$18,180
2030 · yr 4$22,561−$4,249−$22,429
2031 · yr 5$18,986−$3,576−$26,004

The study publishes one number — the five-year total — so that is the only year this table is measured at. The path to it is modeled as a constant rate on remaining value. Real depreciation is front-loaded, so treat year one as optimistic and the middle years as pessimistic.

Rates are five-year figures from iSeeCars' March 2026 study of 950,000+ used cars, measured on 2020–2021 model-year vehicles. A nameplate's history is a proxy for its future, not a forecast: the used market that priced a 2021 Model 3 is not the one that will price a 2026 Model 3. Sales tax, registration, and fees are excluded — they are sunk on day one and never come back in resale. Check a specific car against Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds before acting on any of it.

Which EVs hold value best?

iSeeCars published five-year depreciation figures for ten EV nameplates in its March 2026 study of 950,000+ five-year-old used cars sold March 2025 – February 2026. This is that complete list — not a curated top five, so the cars that look bad are still in it.

EV5-year depreciationValue retained
Tesla Model 3−54.6%45.4%
Porsche Taycan−54.7%45.3%
Hyundai Kona Electric−56.5%43.5%
Kia Niro EV−57.3%42.7%
Tesla Model Y−57.8%42.2%
Ford Mustang Mach-E−60.8%39.2%
Tesla Model X−61.2%38.8%
Tesla Model S−62.0%38.0%
Volkswagen ID.4−62.1%37.9%
Nissan LEAF−63.1%36.9%
EV segment average−57.2%42.8%
All vehicles average−41.8%58.2%

The spread from best to worst is about eight and a half points — and every car on the list depreciated harder than the 41.8% all-vehicle average. That is the finding worth sitting with. The Tesla Model 3, the strongest performer among EVs, still lost more of its value than a typical car. Choosing a well-retaining EV is choosing how much you lose, not whether you lose.

The two at the top got there by different routes. The Tesla Model 3 has the deepest used demand of any EV in the country and a charging network buyers pay for. The Porsche Taycan barely trails it, which tells you something else: expensive cars can retain well when the brand controls supply and the badge does work no spec sheet captures. At the other end, the Nissan LEAFis a cautionary tale about superseded technology — early cars with modest range and, in the LEAF's case, a passively cooled pack, competing against new EVs that are better in every dimension and often cheaper.

EV depreciation vs gas car depreciation

Same study, same window, sorted by how much value each segment keeps.

Segment5-year depreciationWhy
Trucks−34.2%Constrained supply, work demand, and buyers who replace on wear rather than fashion.
Hybrids−35.4%Fuel savings with no charging question attached — the used market pays for that.
All vehicles (average)−41.8%The blended benchmark. Includes EVs and hybrids, so an ICE-only figure sits a little lower.
SUVs−44.9%The volume segment, priced by sheer supply.
Electric vehicles−57.2%A new-car price premium the used market declines to pay back, plus falling new-EV prices.

One caveat that matters for reading this table honestly: the all-vehicle average includes the EVs. Because they are the worst-performing segment, they drag the blended figure upward. Strip them out and a gas-only average sits somewhat below 41.8%, which means the real EV-versus-ICE gap is a little wider than subtracting one row from another implies — not narrower.

EVs do not depreciate because they wear out. They depreciate because of what they cost new. An EV carries a price premium over the equivalent gas car, and the used market declines to pay that premium back. Meanwhile new-EV prices keep falling, and nothing crushes a used price like a cheaper new car sitting next to it — a three-year-old EV competes against a brand-new one with more range, faster charging, and a lower sticker. Battery uncertainty does the rest: used buyers cannot easily verify pack health, so they price the ambiguity as risk.

None of which settles whether an EV costs more to own. Depreciation is one column. Cheaper electricity and lighter maintenance are the other, and they run the opposite way over a long enough hold. The EV vs Gas TCO Calculator adds the columns together.

How the federal tax credit affects net depreciation

The credit never touched what the car is worth. It touched what the car cost you — and depreciation is nothing more than the distance between those two numbers. Shorten one end and the distance shortens with it.

Take a $45,000 EV depreciating at the segment's 57.2%. In five years it is worth about $19,300. Measured against sticker that is a $25,700 loss. But if you claimed the full $7,500 credit, the car cost you $37,500, and your loss is $18,200 — about 48.6% of what you actually paid. The percentage falls further than the dollars do, because the credit shrinks the number you divide by as well as the number on top. That is what takes an EV from far behind the 41.8% average vehicle to within a few points of it.

It is also, for new purchases, a historical argument. The One Big Beautiful Bill, signed July 4, 2025, terminated §30D (new clean vehicle), §25E (used clean vehicle), and §45W (commercial and lease pass-through) for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025. The credit field in the calculator defaults to $0 for any purchase year after that, and to $7,500 before it — override it, because plenty of models only ever qualified for $3,750 and income caps disqualified some buyers outright. State rebates survive and belong in the same box. The EV Tax Credit Calculator covers what is actually left.

Best EVs for resale value in 2026

Nobody has five-year resale data on a 2026 EV, and anyone publishing a ranked list of 2026 models by five-year depreciation is forecasting, not measuring. The cars in the table above are 2020–2021 model years. What that data does support is a set of mechanisms — the reasons those cars landed where they did — and those transfer.

Deep used demand beats good specs. The Tesla Model 3 did not top the list on range or charging speed. It topped it because more people shop for one used than for any other EV. Volume nameplates with a long production history have thicker used markets and shallower discounts.

Supply discipline protects residuals.The Porsche Taycan retained nearly as well as the Model 3 at three times the price. Brands that don't flood the market, and don't cut new-car prices mid-cycle, leave the used values beneath them intact. A headline price cut on a new EV is a wealth transfer from everyone who already owns one.

Superseded technology is the killer. The two weakest performers, Nissan LEAF and Volkswagen ID.4, share a profile: modest range and charging speed against a newer field. Anything a 2026 buyer will find obviously dated in 2031 — slow DC charging, a passively cooled pack, sub-250-mile range — is depreciation waiting to be booked.

Buy the depreciation instead of paying it. The other side of a 57.2% five-year loss is that used EVs are cheap in a way used gas cars are not. The first owner ate the curve. If the pack checks out and the charging speed still suits you, a three-year-old EV is the most efficient way to own one — and the same table that looks like bad news above is the reason.

All depreciation percentages on this page come from iSeeCars 5-Year Depreciation Study, published March 24, 2026, analyzing 950,000+ five-year-old used cars sold March 2025 – February 2026 (model years 2020–2021). Figures are five-year totals; the year-by-year path in the calculator is modeled, not measured. Tax credit status reflects the One Big Beautiful Bill as enacted July 4, 2025. Verify a specific vehicle against Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds and current incentives with the IRS and your state before relying on any of it.

Frequently asked questions

How much do electric cars depreciate?+

Electric vehicles lost 57.2% of their value over five years, against 41.8% for the average vehicle of any powertrain, in iSeeCars' March 2026 study of more than 950,000 five-year-old used cars. That is the worst of any segment they measured — trucks lost 34.2% and hybrids 35.4%. The gap is not caused by EVs wearing out faster. It is caused by what they cost new: an EV carries a price premium over the equivalent gas car, and used buyers decline to pay that premium back. Add new-EV prices that keep falling, which drags used values down beneath them, and the arithmetic follows.

Which EV holds its value best?+

Of the ten EV nameplates iSeeCars published five-year figures for, the Tesla Model 3 depreciated least at 54.6%, followed closely by the Porsche Taycan at 54.7% and the Hyundai Kona Electric at 56.5%. The Nissan LEAF was worst at 63.1%, behind the Volkswagen ID.4 at 62.1% and the Tesla Model S at 62.0%. Note what that range actually is: from best to worst is about eight and a half percentage points, and every single one of them depreciated harder than the 41.8% all-vehicle average. The best-retaining EV in the study still lost more value than a typical car. Picking a "good" EV for resale is choosing how much you lose, not whether.

Do EVs depreciate faster than gas cars?+

Yes, and by a wide margin — 57.2% versus a 41.8% all-vehicle average over five years. One nuance worth knowing: that 41.8% benchmark is the average across every powertrain the study measured, which includes the EVs themselves. Because EVs are the worst-performing segment, they pull the blended average upward. A pure gas-car average would sit somewhat below 41.8%, meaning the true EV-versus-ICE gap is slightly wider than the headline subtraction suggests, not narrower. Depreciation is also only one line of the ownership ledger. Electricity is cheaper than gasoline and EVs need less maintenance, both of which run the other direction.

How does the federal tax credit affect EV depreciation?+

It does not change what the car is worth when you sell it. It changes what the car cost you when you bought it, and depreciation is the distance between those two numbers. A $7,500 credit removes $7,500 from the loss — and because it shrinks the denominator too, it cuts the percentage by more than people expect. A $45,000 EV that sheds 57.2% over five years is worth about $19,300; that is a $25,700 loss on sticker, but a $18,200 loss against the $37,500 you actually paid, or roughly 48.6%. Close to the all-vehicle average, from a starting point well behind it. The catch is that the credit is gone: §30D, §25E, and §45W all terminated for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025 under the One Big Beautiful Bill.

Why do EVs lose value so quickly?+

Four forces, roughly in order of size. First, the new-car price premium: EVs cost more new than comparable gas cars, and the used market does not reimburse that difference. Second, falling new-EV prices — a three-year-old EV competes against a brand-new one that is cheaper, goes farther, and charges faster than it did when new, and nothing drags a used price down like a discounted new one. Third, battery uncertainty: used buyers cannot easily verify pack health, and they price that ambiguity as risk. Fourth, incentives on the new car that never transfer to the used one, which quietly lowers the ceiling on every resale price beneath it.

Is buying a used EV a good deal because of depreciation?+

Depreciation is a loss to the first owner and a discount to the second, and the same 57.2% that makes EVs painful to buy new makes them unusually cheap to buy used. The things that scared the original buyer's market — pack health, an out-of-warranty repair, a charging curve that has been beaten by newer cars — are the things to actually check. Federal help is no longer part of the calculation: the §25E used clean vehicle credit, worth up to $4,000, ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025 alongside the new-car credit.

How accurate is this EV depreciation calculator?+

It is exact at one point and modeled everywhere else, and it is worth understanding which is which. The five-year depreciation rates are measured, not estimated — they come from iSeeCars' analysis of real transaction prices on more than 950,000 five-year-old cars sold between March 2025 and February 2026. What the study does not publish is a year-by-year schedule, so the calculator models the path between year zero and year five as a constant rate on remaining value. Real depreciation is front-loaded, which means the first-year figure here is optimistic and the middle years are pessimistic. Past year five it is extrapolation, and the table labels it as such. The cars measured were 2020–2021 model years, so a nameplate's rate is a proxy for its future rather than a forecast of it.

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