LA doctor breaks down all the unexpected costs on her Tesla Model Y she never had to pay with her Prius
Published on Sep 02, 2025 at 12:21 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Sep 02, 2025 at 2:28 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
This car owner switched from a Toyota Prius to a Tesla Model Y, and the costs involved actually went up, and the fact that she lives in California didn’t help.
While it is true that overall maintenance costs went down, owning a Tesla still comes with a lot of subtle extra charges and fees you don’t even consider until you see the bill.
And some of these charges are basically impossible to predict.
Also, unfortunately for the owner, she picked what is probably the ‘worst’ possible state to own a Tesla.
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Why the Tesla Model Y might end up costing more than the Prius
A YouTuber who goes by Dr Everyday Jan broke down the costs of buying and running a Tesla Model Y after owning a Toyota Prius, and some of the things she said might surprise a lot of people.
Maintenance costs went down across the board, but the heavy battery and the extra torque don’t help when it comes to the tires, which wear out a lot faster.
Insurance also went up, mainly because Tesla is somehow considered a luxury brand, which is a bit counterintuitive.
Especially when it comes to the Tesla Model Y, because this implies that the best-selling vehicle in the world in 2023 and 2024 is actually a luxury vehicle.
The more you know.
Then there are also a lot of extra costs associated with the state this owner lives in, California.
The DMV fee is a lot higher, and she also needed to buy a front license plate holder, because apparently that’s not included and a front license plate is mandatory in California.
Even though Tesla was founded in California, as we all know, the Golden State is probably the least Tesla-friendly in the Union right now.
PHEV vs BEV – Pros and cons
Automakers love acronyms, which is why these days we keep hearing about PHEVs and BEVs and so on.
PHEV stands for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, whereas BEV stands for Battery Electric Vehicle.
To be fair, describing a PHEV as an ‘electric vehicle’ is a bit misleading because a PHEV is an internal combustion car that also has a battery and can be used as an EV.
By contrast, a BEV is just electric, and it doesn’t have an internal combustion engine at all.
The Toyota Prius is one of the world’s most popular and best-selling PHEVs, mainly because it was also the first one.
Toyota, a company that famously doesn’t fully believe in EVs, pioneered hybrid cars in the mid 1990s, back when everyone else was busy building V8s.
Now, some say they are falling behind the curve because they’re a bit resistant to BEVs.
Time will tell whether that’s a good strategy or not.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
