You can get a used Tesla for as low as $20,000 from Hertz right now — but beware of these red flags

• A $20,000 Tesla might be too good to be true.

• High mileage on an EV can be a red flag.

• EV's already depreciate a lot faster than gas cars.

A slew of used Teslas have hit the Hertz car sales website after the company announced Thursday it was selling off 20,000 EVs from its fleet.

Across the US, there were 657 Teslas to choose from — mostly Model 3s — with some listings as low as $20,125 when we checked on Thursday afternoon.

It's a screaming deal for shoppers in the market for a used Tesla or any budget-minded EV shopper, a demographic slowly making up most of the electric car market.

A car-rental company like Hertz is always a good place to look for a deal on a used car, but when it comes to EVs, there are a number of different pitfalls to keep in mind since the used market is not near as mature for battery-powered vehicles.

Mileage and battery usage

A used Tesla that has been in a rental fleet is likely to used much more frequently than one that's been personally owned.

You can see that in the difference in mileage when you look on Kelley Blue Book for a used Model 3. The first one that came up here in Southeast Michigan was listed for $27,995 at a local dealership with 46,171 miles.

That $20,125 Model 3 we found on the Hertz website, a 2021 model, was listed with 92,789 miles.

Mileage is always something to consider when shopping for a used car, but with electric vehicles little is known at this early stage about battery deterioration at high mileages. This mystery in the valuation equation has created a headache for the industry as more electric cars hit the used market.