Kentucky man who's driven his Tesla over 144,000 miles in six years reveals the staggering amount of money he's saved on gas
Published on Jun 19, 2026 at 6:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jun 19, 2026 at 6:15 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Ben Thompson
A Kentucky man who racked up more than 144,000 miles on his Tesla has revealed the savings he’s made on not paying for gas.
YouTuber Andy Slye had been driving his Model 3 for six years when he decided to take stock of his savings.
To get a full sense of how much he’d saved, he also took into consideration maintenance and charging costs.
As a point of comparison, he put it up alongside the Toyota Camry, one of the best selling cars in the US.
How much had this man saved by not paying for gas with his Tesla Model 3?
Back in March 2023, Andy Slye revealed the savings he’d made after five years of owning a Model 3.
At that point, he’d driven around 119,000 miles and spent around $64,262 over the five year period in total ownership costs.
By way of comparison, a Toyota Camry XSE would have set him back $64,300 over the same equivalent period.
That’s savings of $38.
How different were things looking a year later?
In a subsequent video, Slye revealed what costs were looking like after six years of ownership.
There were several optional expenses to be taken into account, from $1,800 spent on Paint Protection Film (PFF) to $200 spent on getting the windows tinted.
All in all, he’d spent around $3,200 on these optional expenses.
As far as out-of-warranty repairs were concerned, he’d shelled out about $2,040.
Two brand-new sets of tires had set him back $2,730.
But now it was time to get to the meat and potatoes of the matter – charging costs.
The moment of truth – how much had charging cost him?
“I live in a State where electricity is super cheap. I’m literally just charging in my garage overnight when electricity is the cheapest,” he explained.
Overnight charging had set him back around $0.08/kilowatt-hour.
Doing some number crunching, he estimated that charging had cost him $2,772 over the six year period.
A further $583 has been spent on Superchargers while out and about and $900 had been spent on a NEMA 14-50 outlet.
That’s $4,255 in total then.
Compared to a gas car with similar specifications, he estimated he’d saved around $20,000.
The EV and gas price comparisons keep on coming
If you’re moving from a gas car to an EV, one pressing question will be sitting at the forefront of your mind – ‘Am I going to save money?’
Fortunately for any drivers that are on the fence, there are an abundance of resources online.
Namely EV drivers speaking up about their own savings.
That’s certainly what one couple from Florida did after their electricity bills left them stunned.
Another Tesla owner went into detail about the savings he’d made after 238,000 miles.
And it’s not just anecdotal evidence either – one study has put the cost differences out there plainly.
Ben joined Supercar Blondie in February 2025 after being published by international organizations including LADbible, The Sun, the New York Post, and the Daily Mail. He covers supercars, rare and collectible vehicles, aviation, luxury assets, and the fascinating people behind them. His reporting has explored everything from seven-figure supercars and historic Ferrari collections to unusual aircraft adventures and extraordinary automotive discoveries from around the world. Ben has also gained first-hand insight into vehicle craftsmanship and customization, including visiting specialist workshops to see bespoke vehicles up close.
