The Tesla Model Y is America’s most popular EV and fourth best-selling vehicle overall. Tesla sold more than 100,000 of them in Q1 2024 alone. Fuel savings are a significant consideration when buying an EV. How much are Tesla Model Y buyers saving?
Tesla estimates a $1,200 per year fuel savings on the Model Y. The EPA estimates an annual “fuel cost” of $650 for the Long Range AWD version of the Model Y. However, the true answer to how much it costs to charge a Tesla Model Y is complicated and depends on the owner's behavior.
How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model Y?
Electricity is measured in cents/kWh. Tesla is the most obscurantist of automakers and won’t even release official battery sizes for vehicles. But for this estimate’s sake, we’ll use Car and Driver’s listing of 80.5 kWh for the Model Y Long Range AWD.
The average residential electricity rate in America is 16.88 cents/kWh. At that rate, a “full charge” of 10-80% on a Tesla Model Y, 56.35 kWh, would cost about $9.51.
How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model Y at home?
The actual rate a Tesla Model Y owner pays will differ from the national average based on several factors. A major one is location. Electricity costs vary widely by state. In North Dakota, where the average electricity rate is 10.44 cents/kWh, a full charge for a Model Y would cost $5.88. In California, where the average electricity rate is 32.47 cents/kWh, the same full charge would cost $18.30.
The time of day matters, too. Electricity prices fluctuate during the day, becoming dramatically more expensive during peak hours in the late afternoon and evening and cheaper at night. Some utility providers will meter a home Level 2 charger separately to deliver even lower rates for charging during off-peak hours.
Home charging is typically the cheapest option for a Tesla Model Y owner. However, the cost of installing the home Level 2 charger can erode some of those savings. Tesla’s wall connector unit costs $450, and installing a Level 2 charger — by putting in a new 240V outlet or hardwiring it in — can cost thousands of dollars.
How much does charging a Tesla Model Y at a Tesla Supercharger cost?
Like home electricity, the cost to charge a Model Y at a Tesla Supercharger will vary with the electricity rate. Motortrend estimated Supercharging rates between 25 cents/kWh and 50 cents per kWh, about twice the going rate for home electricity. That is between $14 and $28 to deliver a full 10-80% charge for a Tesla Model Y.
Tesla can charge additional fees for Supercharger charging. Owners can incur charges of $0.50 or $1.00 per minute idle fees for leaving their Tesla Model Y on a charger after the charge is complete when the charging station is 50-100% full. Tesla can also charge Model Y owners a $1.00 per minute congestion fee for charging past 80% during those times.
How much does a Tesla Model Y cost to charge compared to filling up a gas car?
As of this writing, the average gas price nationally is $3.50. We’ll let the Toyota RAV4 stand in as a gas alternative to the Tesla Model Y. According to the EPA, the RAV4 Hybrid requires 2.6 gallons of gas to travel 100 miles, which costs $9.10. The less-efficient, gas-powered RAV4 TRD Off-Road would need 3.6 gallons of gas to travel the same 100 miles, which costs $12.60.
Home charging a Tesla Model Y yields significant savings. According to the EPA, the Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD uses 29 kWh to travel 100 miles. At the average electricity price, it would cost $4.90 to charge at home.
Going to the Supercharger with the Model Y can creep closer to the price of gasoline. Using the 25 cents/kWh to 50 cents/kWh range, charging for the same 100 miles on a Supercharger could cost between $7.25 and $14.50.
