How much does it cost to charge a Tesla?
Don’t worry.
This won’t be a boring math class.
I’m about to break it down for you.
In our last video, Karl and I went on an 800-mile road trip in our Tesla Model S and you guys
left us some great comments.
One question that got asked was how much it cost to charge.
So I’m going to go over 4 different ways to charge a Tesla and the costs associated
with each one.
First up, lets start with the fastest way.
Supercharging.
This is how we were able to travel 800 miles without getting stranded.
So let’s talk dollars and cents.
What did we pay to supercharge?
ZERO dollars.
That’s because right now, customers who use a referral code to purchase a Tesla Model
S or X get free unlimited supercharging for life.
Here’s our referral code if you want to hop on that promotion.
If you have free supercharging, GREAT!
Lucky you!
You can fast forward past this part and onto Charging Method #2.
So what’s the deal for those of you who DON’T have free supercharging for life?
Well, every year all Tesla owners are awarded supercharging credits that equate to roughly
1000 miles worth of free supercharging.
Once that’s used up, supercharging rates actually vary by State or Province in North
America (and for my international friends out there, it varies by country).
Some locations charge per kWh, while others charge per minute!
Tesla’s website allows you to see the exact price per state.
Let’s take a look at California, a very popular place for Tesla owners.
As you can see, California charges 0.20 per kWh (whispers: "but that's way higher than
the average!").
So how do we calculate this?
Simply put, you multiply that number by your battery pack.
We have the 75kWH battery.
So to charge our car from 0% to 100% in California it would cost $15.00 to charge.
Which would get us a range of about 259 miles.
We only charge to 100% when we go on road trips.
For normal driving, however, you typically only need to charge to 80%.
So if we just wanted to charge on a normal day, it would actually only cost $12.00.
WARNING: Beware!
Tesla has started and will continue to hit you with idle fees for cars that remain at
a supercharger after charging is complete.
https://www.tesla.com/support/supercharger-idle-fee And with the Model 3 and other future models
coming, these supercharger stations will eventually be just as busy as a gas station.
So don’t be a supercharger hog.
And the good news is, even if you walk away from your car to go do something else, you
can use the handy Tesla mobile app to monitor the status of your charge.
It’ll even alert you when your super charging is complete.
Okay enough about super charging, let’s move on to Charging Method #2 Destination
charging.
Destination charging sites are found at places where you’re likely to spend several hours
at such as restaurants, hotels, and shopping centers.
Telsa has built and will continue to expand a robust destination-charging network.
Most destination charging locations will require you to be a patron (for example you can use
a restaurant’s charger if you’re eating there).
Some places even allow use of their destination charger without being a patron if you call
ahead.
More than likely, they’d make that exception if it’s like an emergency situation.
Ok so blah blah blah.
Let’s get to the cost.
Well, the thing is there’s really no cost associated with a destination charger except
for the cost of being a patron.
But if you’re using a destination charger, it’s likely that you were already planning
to be a patron at that location anyway.
Oh and while its unlikely, some property owners may decide to charge you a fee for using their
charger, but that’s pretty rare.
Speaking of destination chargers, I want to quickly point out a similar but less popular
option.
Public EV chargers.
You see technically you’re not limited to using Tesla’s destination chargers – you
could also use standard electric vehicle charging stations using an adaptor.
But it’s going to be SLOW as molasses and chances are it’s not going to be free either.
Costs will vary and you can find that info in whichever app you’re using to locate
it.
Last but not least, is #4.
Charging at home.
Here you have two different options.
A Tesla High Power Wall Connector (HPWC), which could be as fast as a destination charger
or a NEMA 14-50 mobile connector.
And FYI: A NEMA 14-50 outlet is the same kind of outlet you use for your home Dryer.
So do not be fooled into thinking you are required to use an expensive Tesla certified
installer to get this setup.
NEMA is a standard outlet that most homes already have.
We were quoted $850 by a Tesla Certified Installer versus being quoted $250 by our local certified
electrician.
Which would you rather pay?
Now back to charging.
The cost for home charging will be dependent on your state’s power company and battery
pack size.
Want to save money?
Make sure you take advantage and charge during off peak hours or consult your power company
about a Electric Vehicle power plan.
For us we pay a little less than 1 cent per kWh during off peak hours.
Yes, that’s correct less than a penny on our smart usage plan.
So that means for our Tesla 75D, we only pay $0.75 to charge our battery from 0 to 100%
How awesome is that?!
If you have any questions or tips or if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in a future
video, drop us a comment down below.
Other than that, I hope to see you at a supercharger somewhere.