How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Tesla?

This a table that answers the question, of the price of charging Tesla cars in a nutshell.

Tesla is the biggest shareholder in the EV market. The company is sort of a trendsetter when it comes to building a charging infrastructure or making electric cars with the longest range. With Teslas, you can reap the benefits of owning an electric vehicle.

One of the biggest advantages of owning an electric car is that you can get rid of your fuel expense. We know that the prices of fuel are increasing every day. In such a case, electric cars such as Tesla are a sigh of relief for many. Still, people who are buying Teslas to put an end to the fuel costs are curious about how much does it cost to charge a Tesla?

I can tell you this, charging an electric car at home is an affordable solution. But charging an electric car at a fast-charging station is a different ball game altogether. In some cases, the fast charging of an electric car might be costlier than fuel.

In this article, we’ll have a closer look at the charging cost of different Tesla models at different types of charging stations. This will give us a better idea about the running costs of a Tesla.

So, let’s dive right into it!

How Much Does it Cost to Charge Different Tesla Models?

You can find the four models of Tesla on the market right now. Each model has a different-sized battery pack and is laced with different charging technology. In addition to these, the charging cost of a Tesla would majorly depend upon the type of charging station you choose.

So, let’s have a look at the charging cost of different Tesla models at different types of charging stations in this section. Let’s begin!

Tesla Model S

The first and foremost thing to know about Tesla Model S is its battery size. So, it comes with a 99.3 kWh battery pack that can give you a long range of up to 405 miles. There are several considerations to be made when it comes to the charging cost of an electric car.

First of all, we will consider the case of charging your electric car at home. In the US, we can consider a flat electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh. Plus, we know that the batteries of Tesla are up to 90% efficient. So, to fully charge a 99.3 kWh battery pack, you would consume no less than 111 units. But the battery is never drained to zero point.

Hence, a more logical assumption would be to consider charging the battery from 10-100%. So, the total cost of charging the Tesla Model S at your house would come to $15. For 405 miles range with 90% efficiency, the price per mile comes down to 4.1 cents. It would take about 28 hours to fully charge your Tesla Model S at the house. So, the cost isn’t an issue time is.

Next up is the case of a level-II charging station. Now, here there can be a lot of variation. You can install your own level-II charging station at the house, or you can also use the services of a commercial level-II charging point.

The former solution would cost you the same 4.1 cents per mile while reducing the charging time. However, at a commercial level-II charger, you can expect to pay $0.20 per kWh. So, to charge the Model S from 10-100% at a level-II charging station would cost you $19. The cost per mile would come down to 5.2 cents. Plus, it would take about 6-8 hours to charge here.

The final solution is the Tesla Supercharger. Now, that is a solid advantage of owning a Tesla. Number 1 is the exclusive benefits you get at a Tesla Supercharger, and 2^nd one is access to various charging points located all over the US. At a Tesla Supercharger, the cost per kWh is about $0.26.

So, to charge the Tesla Model S at a Supercharger, you would need to pay about $26. This is by far the fastest way of charging the Tesla Model S. You would be done in less than 30 minutes. But this comes at the cost of 7.1 cents per mile. If you’re willing to pay for that, go for it!

Tesla Model X

Tesla Model X is powered by the same 99.3 kWh battery as Model S. Hence, the cost of charging the Model X is quite similar to that of Model S. The only difference is the cost per mile since there is a considerable difference between the range of Model S and X.

Model X is capable of going as far as 350 miles. So, at home, charging the battery pack of 99.3 kWh would again cost you $15, but the cost per mile would come out to be 4.8 cents instead of 4.1 cents. Similarly, the cost of charging the Model X at a level-II charging station would cost you around $19 in total. But the cost per mile would be 6 cents instead of 5.2 cents.

At last, there is the case of a Tesla Supercharger. Again it is the fastest way to rejuice the batteries of your Tesla. Model X takes around 30 minutes to charge on a fast-charging point. The bill would come out to be around $26. However, the cost per mile will be 8.3 cents instead of 7.1.

So, if we were to draw a conclusion, the overall cost of charging the Model S and X would be the same. But if you compare costs per mile, then Model X would cost 15% more.

Tesla Model 3

Model 3 is the most affordable Tesla on the market. It is powered by a relatively smaller battery pack of 80.5 kWh. But even with a smaller battery pack, it can go as far as 358 miles. This is an impressive outcome for entry-level buyers.

Now, to fully charge an 80.5 kWh battery pack, you would need about 90 units considering 90% efficiency. But assuming that battery was drained only up to 10%, in reality, 81 units would do the job. At the rate of $0.15 per kWh, this would come to about $12.15. Hence, charging a Tesla Model 3 at home would cost you $12.15 and about 3.8 cents per mile.

Similarly, at a level-II station, it would cost $16.2 to charge Model 3, and at a Tesla Supercharger, the cost is $21. The cost per mile at level II and III stations are 5 and 6.5 cents, respectively.

Tesla Model Y

Tesla Model Y is powered by the same 80.5 kWh battery pack as Model 3. So, the cost of charging Model Y at level-I, II, and III stations is exactly similar to Model 3. The only difference is the cost per mile since model Y offers a slightly shorter range of 330 miles.

The cost per mile would come out to be 4.1, 5.5, and 7 cents at a level I, II, and III stations, respectively. So, this is about 8% more in comparison to Model 3.

Get your Tesla ready for the ride with this comprehensive guide on just how long it takes to charge your car!

Final Word, How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Tesla?

We’ve seen it costs almost the same to charge any Tesla Model. This is because the driving range of all Tesla Models lies in the same range of 350-400 miles, and they are more or less powered by the same battery pack. The sizes may differ, but the battery technology remains the same.

Read: How Much Does it Cost to Change Tesla Batteries?

The difference across various types of charging stations is more prominent than the difference across models. This is mainly due to the fact that each type of charging station has its own per kWh rate. The charging time is inversely proportional to the charging cost.

As the charging time goes on increasing, the cost goes on decreasing. We saw that charging at a Supercharger would cost 70% more as compared to charging at home. But charging at home would take 28-30 hours, whereas charging at a Tesla Supercharger would take less than 30 minutes.

I personally recommend using the Tesla Supercharger, especially when you own a Tesla. You can enjoy the exclusive benefits at Superchargers. Plus, the network of Tesla Superchargers is huge. You can choose between 40,000+ locations to enjoy fast charging.

Do you own a Tesla? How much does it cost to charge a Tesla? Give us an idea about your charging cost. We would love to hear from you!