If you’re tired of paying more at the gas station, you might be thinking about an electric car like a Tesla.

But since electricity isn’t cheap either, you may be wondering how much electricity a Tesla uses and how it compares to filling up a gas tank.

For every 100 miles driven, the average Tesla uses just under 35 kWh. If you drive your Tesla 100,000 miles, it will have used 35,000 kWh, which comes out to about a penny per day.

Since Tesla owners often drive their cars 200,000 or even more than 300,000 miles over the course of their ownership, this means that your Tesla could use anywhere from 105,000 kWh to as much as 175,000 kWh.

How Much Power Do Teslas Need?

As electric cars have changed over the years, so has the engineering that goes into making them.

Because of this, the amount of power used is much less than many potential buyers realise.

In fact, you will be surprised to find out that a Tesla uses much less power than you thought it would. This is because all of its systems are powered by the batteries inside the car.

When Tesla cars were first made, the size of their batteries was one of their biggest advantages over other electric cars.

The Tesla battery capacity is measured not only in kWh, which stands for kilowatt-hours, but also in milliamps-per-hour, or mAh. The Tesla is known for having one of the highest capacities of any electric car on the market today.

Each Tesla battery pack is made up of thousands of different kinds of battery cells, with 18650, 4680, and 2170 making up the majority.

When put together, these different battery cells have a total storage capacity of 85–100 kWh, with the 100kWh mostly found in larger Tesla models.

How Much Does Your Electric Bill Go Up with a Tesla?

You might think that plugging in your car every night will send your monthly electric bill through the roof because you already have a lot of gadgets, appliances, and other things at home that need electricity to work.

But you will be pleasantly surprised.

No matter what kind of Tesla you have, the average cost to charge it per mile is just over 4.1 cents.

If you only charged your Tesla at home, which is unlikely given the number of Tesla charging stations across the country, the average Tesla owner’s electric bill would go up by $40 to $50 per month, according to estimates.

When it comes to how much it costs to charge each Tesla model, the Model 3 is the least expensive. On average, it costs about $8.75 to fully charge a Model 3.

The Model Y is next, with a full charge costing just over $12. The Model X and Model S are a bit more expensive, costing around $16.50 for a full charge.

Different parts of the country have different electricity rates, so where you live will also affect how much your electric bill goes up.

Based on data from 2021, we’ve found that Tesla owners in California and other states in the Pacific Northwest pay the most to charge their cars, with an average of 29 cents per kWh.

The electric bills of Tesla owners in the south of the U.S. go up the least because the average cost of electricity there is only 11 cents per kWh.

How Much Does the Electricity Cost to Run a Tesla?

We’ve talked a lot about how much it costs to run your Tesla when it comes to electricity. But there are still a few more things to talk about.

Many Tesla owners think they should charge their cars most of the time at Tesla supercharger stations.

Even though these charging stations are convenient and come in very handy on long trips, they are not made to be used every day for long-term charging.

Since a supercharger station can fully charge your Tesla in about 15 minutes, it’s like a pit stop for your Tesla.

You might save some money if this was the only way you charged, but it would be too inconvenient in the long run, and you would use more electricity each month driving back and forth between your home and the charging station.

Also, you’ll need to think about how efficient the charger you use for your Tesla is.

Many Tesla owners, especially those who just bought their first Tesla, think that the chargers work perfectly, but that’s not true.

Most are between 85 and 90 percent, which means that the real cost of electricity will be a bit higher.

For example, if your Tesla has a 100kWh battery, which it would if it was a larger model, it would cost you about 14 cents per kWh plus 15 percent more because the charger isn’t as good as it could be.

So, the total cost to fully charge a Tesla Model S would be around $16.50, which is still cheaper than the price of a gallon of gas right now.

Since a Model S is said to have a range of 405 miles, it would cost you about $4.07 to drive 100 miles.

Planning Your Charging Times with a Tesla

When it’s time to charge your Tesla, you’ll need to plan ahead so that your car is fully charged and ready to go when you need it.

Keep in mind that there are three ways to charge a Tesla: Level 1, Level 2, and the Tesla Supercharger, which is also called a DC Fast Charger.

If you are using Level 1 charging, you will plug your Tesla into a regular wall outlet at home.

Even though this choice is convenient in some ways, don’t choose it if you have to be somewhere the next morning.

If you plug your Model 3 or another Tesla with a long-range battery close to 100 kWh into a standard 110-volt outlet, it will take several days to fully charge your car.

If you want to charge your Tesla in hours instead of days, you should move up to Level 2 charging.

This can be done at home, and while charging, your Tesla will use the same amount of electricity as one of your larger home appliances.

Using a 220-240 volt outlet, your Tesla will be fully charged in no more than 12 hours. If you plug it in right when you get home in the evening, you should be good to go the next morning.

Lastly, a Tesla charging station uses DCFC, which is another name for Level 3 charging.

The chargers at these stations use a lot more power to run, but they can deliver a lot of electricity in a short amount of time, so your Tesla can be fully charged in as little as 15 to 20 minutes.

In 15 minutes, you can add at least 200 miles of range to your Tesla.

Even though commercial electricity rates are usually lower than residential rates, this doesn’t always mean that using a Tesla charging station will save you a lot of money.

You pay for the convenience of a quick charge, though.

Is It Cheaper to Charge a Tesla at Home or at a Supercharger?

Overall, it will be less expensive to charge your Tesla at home than to use a supercharger station often.

But did you know that you can charge your phone for free in some places?

As was already said, any money you might save by using a quick charge will go away quickly if you have to drive back and forth to get them.

Also, keep in mind that even though the price of electricity for businesses is usually lower than the price for homes, supercharger stations charge a higher rate per kWh.

As we’ve already said, a Tesla station will charge your car faster, but you’ll pay more for the convenience.

In total, it will cost you between $10 and $15 to fully charge your Tesla at home.

When you use a supercharger station, keep in mind that a lot of high-voltage electricity is sent to your car’s battery in a short amount of time.

This is good because it gets you back on the road quickly, but if you do it all the time, it can hurt your Tesla battery.

Can I Save Money on Charging by Using Solar Power?

If you want to lower the cost of charging your Tesla, many people find that converting their homes to solar power is one of the best ways to do so.

If you use solar power to power all or part of your home, you could see a big drop in how much it costs to charge your Tesla.

Even though you have to pay money up front to convert the energy, the average cost per kWh of electricity drops to 10 cents when you use solar power.

Also, state and federal government agencies often give tax credits, rebates, and other incentives to homeowners who switch to solar power. This could save you even more money over time.

If you want to keep your Tesla for at least ten years and don’t plan to stop using electric cars in the future, switching to solar power may be a good idea.

Do I Need to Charge My Tesla Every Day?

Most of the time, you won’t have to charge your Tesla every day. Of course, this can change, especially if you drive hundreds of miles every day.

Most Tesla owners find that plugging in their car every night shortens the life of the car’s battery in the long run.

So, if you only charge your car’s battery pack when it needs it, you’ll save money on electricity and keep the battery pack in good shape.

Since electric cars like Tesla are definitely the way of the future, doing everything you can now to save money on your electric bill when you charge your Tesla will pay off in the long run.