Man breaks down the charging costs of his Tesla Model 3 after 50K miles and reveals the savings compared to what he would have spent on a gas car
- A lot of EV drivers have shared their savings
- This Tesla Model 3 driver did the math compared to a gas car
- He covered fuel, maintenance, and insurance
Published on Dec 03, 2024 at 7:28 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Dec 04, 2024 at 4:52 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
While a lot of EV drivers have shared their costs of driving electric after switching from an ICE engine, this US-based Tesla Model 3 driver has really done the math on charging costs.
As well as running the figures on gas versus electric for fuel, he also calculated the difference in maintenance and insurance.
It certainly makes for some interesting reading on the Long Range that has hit 50,000 miles in just over two years.
But which came out top?
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Tesla Model 3 charging costs
Charging costs for the Tesla Model 3 translate to $2,840 to go a little over 52,000 miles from 2022 to 2024.
It ‘may or may not sound like a lot’.
“Let’s see what it would have cost us if we were in a gas car,” shares JoJo of the Vegas Tesla Family, who share their literal and metaphorical journey with the EV brand.
He calculates – using average gas prices in Nevada – that over the same period, a gas car would have cost a total of $7,296.
That comes to a saving of $4,469, which is ‘a pretty good chunk of change’.
Similarly, another EV driver conducted a 31-day experiment to prove that charging a Tesla Cybertruck costs way less than you think.
EV drivers love to talk about their impressive savings on fuel.
This isn’t the first time the entire cost of a Tesla Model 3 has been totted up.
Maintenance costs
“Spoiler alert: this will be a short section because I have not done much to my car,” JoJo confesses.
The only maintenance to note is fitting air filters (which he installed himself), putting air in the tires, three tire rotations, and filling the washer fluid tank, costing him $158.
Obviously, the exact costs for the same maintenance on a gas car aren’t readily available – so the Tesla devotee used ChatGPT’s data.
Maintenance on a gas car was estimated to cost between $1,920 and $4,600.
JoJo estimates gas car maintenance costs r the same 52,000-mile range from $1,920 to $4,600, based on ChatGPT’s data.
Whichever figure you select from that broad range – it’s a lot more than the $158 on his Tesla.
Insurance costs
JoJo doesn’t personally recommend Tesla insurance, stating that it’s ‘impossible’ to get anyone on the phone when you need them.
Having said that they are the cheapest due to a ‘safety score’ based on your driving habits in the vehicle, which results in your personal rate.
This does go up or down several dollars per month but does offer ‘pretty decent insurance coverage and much more than the minimum’.
For October, for example, he paid $93.79, which compares to a ChatGPT average of $150/month for a gas car.
In other words? A saving of $1,349 over two years.
Total Tesla Model 3 saving
In summary, his total cost comes to $5,428.96.
That compares to an estimated saving of $7,998.04.
“It’s quite a chunk of change,” he concludes.
It most certainly is.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
