Stunning images of EV ‘graveyard’ filled with broken down cars that can’t be fixed after vehicles worth $18k quit

DOZENS of defunct, single-passenger EVs found their final resting place in a junkyard miles outside Phoenix, Arizona.

In an Instagram post, a driver said he found the broken-down EVs in a heap with other dead vehicles.

Instagram/startupslick

Instagram/startupslick

Instagram/startupslick

Dozens of turned-over ElectraMeccanica Solos were laid to rest in a junkyard, according to a video posted by Instagrammer Startupslick ( @startupslick ).

The video shows a series of distinctive three-wheeled EVs, abandoned and left to deteriorate in the elements.

Several drivers called the junked cars a “waste.”

The ElectraMeccanica Solo was a unique single-seat electric vehicle.

Solos were considered city-dweller vehicles with narrow frames and three-wheel designs.

Production began in 2016 before the company moved factories several times, according to Electrify News .

The final models were built in Mesa, Arizona.

The Solo’s base price started at $18,000, according to the post.

But in 2023, the company issued a buyback program for all its cars built between 2021 and 2023.

The company found a defect that caused the car to lose propulsion.

Instead of investing in costly fixes for the program, ElectraMeccanica’s parent company decided to repurchase customers’ cars and scrap the vehicles.

The Solo brand was sold to Xos Inc., an electric truck manufacturer, in March 2024.

The company bought the struggling EVs for $48 million, according to Yahoo Finance .

Xos believes that the acquisition will help it build more electric commercial trucks.

Electric vehicles vs gas

Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles

EV PROS:

• Convenient (when charging at home)
• Cheaper (depending on state or city)
• Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
• Great for commuting
• Reduced CO2 emissions
• Federal and state tax incentives
• More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)

EV CONS:

• Higher initial cost
• Higher insurance rates
• More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
• Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
• Low resale value
• High depreciation rates
• Lack of charging infrastructure
• Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
• Poor winter and summer performance
• Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
• Range anxiety

GAS PROS:

• Highly developed refueling infrastructure
• Fast refueling
• Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
• Established repair industry
• Lower initial cost
• Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
• Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
• Cheaper refueling, depending on the location

GAS CONS:

• Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
• Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
• Higher repair costs
• Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
• Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county

Source: Car & Driver , Perch Energy , AutoWeek

GRAVEYARD CONVERSATIONS

Now, the Instagrammer believes he found most of the defunct vehicles in their final resting place.

The video gets close up with some of the eye-catching vehicles.

But the EVs are visible from far away.

Piles of Solos are taller than the solid several-foot-tall fences around the yard.

The discovery of the Solos in a junkyard has reignited conversations about the vehicle’s troubled history.

Several people said it was sad to see the decaying vehicles left in the junkyard.

“They can’t recycle the parts?” one commenter asked on Instagram.

“Why not strip the working part for other use?” another commenter said. “Seems like a ridiculous waste.”

Other commenters said the cars were a reminder of the company’s production issues.

“These were awesome; I wanted one,” another commenter added. “Some people kept them, I believe.”

The U.S. Sun contacted the Instagrammer for comment on the article, but they didn’t immediately respond.

Instagram/startupslick

Instagram/startupslick