EVs are eco-friendly and cost-effective in the long run. But other than their purchase price, we are often worried about their charging cost. Tesla owners are even more concerned about the cost of charging a Tesla at home and charging stations. Come let’s find out the answer to these questions.

How much does it Cost to Charge a Tesla at Home: Per Day, Per Month, Per Year?

Home charging for many Tesla owners is the most cost-effective way since it gives them a chance to save electricity tariffs in off-peak hours and bypass public charging service fees. Here are the rates each day, a month, and a year to charge a Tesla at home.

1. Per Day

According to the report by the United States Bureau of Labour Statistics, electricity averaged 0.169 per kilowatt-hour as of the 12th of December 2023. Accepting a 100-kWh battery pack and the full capacity under consideration, the price correspondingly would be $18.90 to charge a Tesla vehicle in a station. 

Nevertheless, this number is a maximum theoretical value, since in practice, there aren’t a lot of drivers who need to go from 0 to 100% charged daily. Another practical case is that the car is recharged to only 80% of its capacity and hence, the cost will go down to close to $15.12 per day.

2. Per Month

To calculate the cost to charge a Tesla per month, let us take the mean monthly mileage. As per the United States Department of Transportation, the average annual mileage of a passenger car in the US was 13,476 miles. Saying it the other way, it means 1123 miles a year. The knowledge is that Tesla Model 3 has an efficiency rate of 7.58 miles per kWh which it uses at 148.09 kWh per month.

As a result, the calculation for this results in $0.169 per kWh if multiplying the average electricity rate by the monthly cost which is equal to $25.03.

3. Per Year

To get the annual price for charging a Tesla at home, we just need to multiply the monthly value by 12, and in total, we would be spending $300.36 per year. However, it does not take into consideration the fluctuations in electricity prices and different driving manners over the year interval.

Note: Please note that these calculations are only estimates and will differ in real-case scenarios.

Also Read: How Much will Electric Cars Cost in 2025?

How Much Does it Cost to Charge a Tesla at a Charging Station or at a Supercharger?

EV charging App:  How much does it cost to charge a Tesla at a supercharger

A charging station by Tesla costs an average of $0.28 per kWh. Note that this charge for a Tesla with a 75-kWh battery would cost around $21. Chargers at Levels 1 and 2 will be the affordable choices for charging. Often you will find them as a free facility and they exist at many Tesla stations.

Although superchargers might be a bit more expensive and cost up to $0.36 per kWh. However, the price depends on the area of choice and the timing. Tesla, on selecting a pin on the route, shows the specific cost at the supercharger site on a pop-up on the touchscreen of the vehicle. Once the charging level is full, the final charges will be displayed on the screen. All rates include taxes and fees and may vary accordingly depending on the time.

A supercharger offers options ranging from 250kW power up to 80% capacity of charge in just 30 minutes. Besides this, the vehicle has a battery preconditioning function, which kick-starts this process 25% faster than usual.

Tesla owners are billed either in kWh, where it is possible, or on a per-minute basis, otherwise. There are four tiers of charging speeds and the price increases with the faster charging speeds.

The table below shows the charging rate and the price per minute for each tier

TiersCharging RatePrice per Minute
Tier 1Charging up to 60 kWCheapest price per minute
Tier 2Charging more than 60 kW and up to 100 kWLess expensive price per minute
Tier 3Charging more than 100 kW and up to 180 kWMore expensive price per minute
Tier 4Charging more than 180 kWMost expensive price per minute

The charging time or rate constant does not vary even if the price fluctuates during charging. Some of the charging stations have different rates during peak and non-peak hours. You can view the rates and the peak times on the vehicle’s touchscreen “nav” app.

Regulations Imposed By Tesla

For the reason of impartial and correct charging for all Tesla drivers, Tesla has imposed some regulations. The rates are listed for the United States only.

  • A charging fee of $0.50 per minute will be imposed if you idle in your vehicle after it is fully charged.
  • A $1.00 per minute congestion fee if the station is busy and your battery is above 80%.
  • A grace period of five minutes is granted before these fees will start applying.
  • A rates menu for every site that shows the empty and congested charges, which you can reach on the touchscreen of your vehicle or the Tesla app.

You can also check out our article – Is Supercharging Bad for Tesla Battery?

How Long Does It Take to Charge a Tesla?

It depends on the kind of charger being used, the battery size, and the vehicle model. Moreover, weather, the battery temperature, the initial and final battery levels, and the vehicle’s performance and distance are also responsible.

A Supercharger takes about 30 minutes to charge the battery, while at home the Tesla Wall Connector takes around 10 hours or so. A common outlet with a Tesla Mobile Connector only gives 3 to 6 miles of driving range for one hour of charging. It may take a maximum of 5 days to reach the full charge for some models. 

Tesla has a wide range of chargers, from Level 1 (AC) chargers using a normal 120-volt port to Level 2 (AC) chargers using a 240-volt source, to DC Fast Chargers or Superchargers which need special stations.

Moreover, you can get third-party charging stations on Plugshare.com. Others with the J1772 charger use the SAE J1772 adapter, and the 120-volt uses the mobile connector. You can have a plug-in adapter kit in your car to get power from a 240-volt wall jack on highways.

Below is a table of comparison for different chargers:

Charging HardwareCharging Speed
Wall ConnectorUpto 44 miles/h at 11.5 kW / 48 A
Mobile ConnectorNEMA 5-15 ADAPTER – upto 3 miles/hour
NEMA 14-50 ADAPTER – upto 30 miles/hour
Destination ChargerUpto 44 miles/hour
Supercharger200 miles/15 minutes

Also See: How to Charge Your Non-Tesla EV at a Tesla Supercharger?

How Much does it Cost to Charge a Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model X, and S?

EV charging pic: how much does it cost to charge a Tesla per month

The cost of charging a Tesla Model 3Model X, or Model Y, and other models will largely depend on the electricity rates in your area and also the time of the day you charge. Other things, as well, are given a sufficient explanation in the portion of this article above.

We assumed the following to estimate the charging costs of various U.S. Tesla models:

1. During the car usage for 36 miles and when plugged in for 4 hours every day on average, and the residential electricity price is set at $0.169 per kWh.

2. The battery size and range of every model were used to find out their efficiency.

3. We can find the daily energy consumption using this formula
Daily Energy Consumption (kWh) = Daily Distance (miles) ÷ Efficiency (miles/kWh)

To calculate the monthly cost, we can simply multiply the Daily Energy Consumption (kWh) × Number of Days in a Month × Electricity Cost per kWh

You can refer to the table below to have an idea about the cost per month:

Tesla ModelNominal Battery CapacityRange (EPA Estimated)Estimated EfficiencyApproximate Cost of Charging
Tesla Model 3 RWD60 kWh272 miles4.53miles/kWh$40.59
Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD78.1 kWh341 miles4.37 miles/kWh$42.77
Tesla Model Y RWD60 kWh260 miles4.33 miles/kWh$42.57
Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD78.1 kWh310 miles3.97 miles/kWh$45.56
Tesla Model Y Performance78.1 kWh285 miles3.65 miles/kWh$50.56
Tesla Model X100.0 kWh335 miles3.35 miles/kWh$57.85
Tesla Model X Plaid100.0 kWh326 miles3.26 miles/kWh$60.03
Tesla Model S100.0 kWh405 miles4.05 miles/kWh$45.42
Tesla Model S Plaid100.0 kWh359 miles3.59 miles/kWh$50.78

You can also use the Tesla Charging Calculator on their website to get a more accurate number.

Overall, to assess the cost of charging a Tesla, you will need to consider the factors mentioned above. Unlike gas-powered cars, EV’s charges can be very diverse. Remember that low temperatures and battery degradation can cause the charging process to slow down. A level 2 home charger is recommended for best output. To learn more about electric vehicle charging, check out our dedicated EV category.

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Olivia is committed to green energy and works to help ensure our planet's long-term habitability. She takes part in environmental conservation by recycling and avoiding single-use plastic.

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