Electric cars ranked by resale value

We'd guess that a sizable portion of the U.S. population would consider an electric car if they could find one at the right price. Thing is, technology is expensive, and early adopters often bear the brunt of the expense. That's where lightly used electric vehicles come into play. As you'll see as you scroll through this list of electric cars ranked by depreciation after three years, which we put together using data provided by iSeeCars.com, some truly interesting electric cars have fallen rapidly in value after just three years of ownership.

“Categorically, electric vehicles depreciate more than the average vehicle because resale values take into account the $7,500 federal tax credit and other state and local credits that were applied to these vehicles when they were bought new,” said iSeeCars.com CEO Phong Ly. “Because the technology of EVs changes at a rapid pace, obsolescence also plays a role in their dramatic depreciation as well as consumer range anxiety and lack of public charging infrastructure.”

But not all electric cars depreciate so rapidly. Click on the image above to see the rankings. And if you're not interested in electric vehicles, click here for a list of the biggest depreciators powered by more traditional drivetrains.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $69,070

% Depreciation: 33.9%

Up next is another Tesla. The Model X crossover is quite different from any other vehicle available in America. It's offered with three rows of seating, for starters, and high-end versions are also some of the quickest utility vehicles available at any price. And did you get a load of those uplifting Falcon doors? Still, it depreciates much more rapidly than the smaller, less expensive Model 3. We'd wager that the brand's latest vehicle, the Model Y crossover, will shake up the market in a similar fashion as the Model 3.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $59,246

% Depreciation: 36.3%

Surprise! Tesla takes first, second and third positions on this list of electric vehicles ranked by depreciation. It makes sense that the Model S, the electric car company's oldest model, depreciates at the highest rate. Still, it outpaces the rest of the EV field by a fair margin, as you'll see as you keep progressing through the rankings.

As iSeeCars.com points out, Tesla's unique over-the-air updates help keep even older vehicles relatively up to date. That likely has a positive effect on depreciation.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $22,695

% Depreciation: 47.5%

Well, the Tesla train has left the station, and the rest of the electric car segment performs significantly worse when it comes to retaining value. The best of the rest is the Chevrolet Bolt, which loses nearly half of its original value after three years of ownership. That may not be great news for the original owner, but it means there's a really good electric hatchback with over 200 miles of range on the used market at a really attractive price.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $18,532

% Depreciation: 47.7%

The Hyundai Ioniq loses just a bit more value than the Chevy Bolt after three years, but its lower sticker price means it's quite a bit cheaper. Thing is, it is rated for just 124 miles per charge, whereas the Bolt delivers considerably more at 238 miles. If we were the ones writing the check, we'd think long and hard about raiding the piggy bank to get the Chevy.

As a side note, the Bolt and the Ioniq are the only two non-Teslas to lose less than 50% of their value after three years. Yowza.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $14,862

% Depreciation: 58.7%

The Kia Soul EV continues the steady electric vehicle depreciation decline that only gets worse from here. This is the first vehicle to break the 50%-depreciation mark, but it's the final electric car that scores better than the segment average of 59.2%. There are two vehicles left on this list, and each of them loses more than 60% of their value over the course of their first three years of ownership.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $13,197

% Depreciation: 60.2%

Very little separates the second-place Nissan Leaf from the biggest loser of them all, which you'll see on the next slide. The biggest difference is that a three-year-old Leaf costs significantly less because it wasn't as expensive at initial purchase time. In fact, a used Nissan Leaf is quite possibly the least expensive way to enter the electric vehicle segment, and while it lags behind the likes of Tesla in desirability and range, at this price, it might make a lot of buyers happy as a second car.

Avg. 3-Year-Old Used Price: $21,432

% Depreciation: 60.4%

And finally we come to the biggest depreciator of 'em all, the BMW i3. And we're not surprised. Despite the fact that the i3 comes from a premium brand that you'd think could compete for desirability with Tesla, the i3 is a strange beast that probably doesn't appeal to BMW traditionalists like a Model 3 might. That doesn't make the funky electric hatchback a bad car, however. We're big fans of the i3's modern style and spacious, airy interior. If you're considering electric vehicles, a lightly used BMW i3 is worth a look.