Woman compares the monthly cost of charging a Tesla in the US to filling a Subaru with gas and the difference is huge

US drivers log about 13,400 miles annually, and so choosing the right vehicle makes a huge financial difference, whether it’s an EV like a Tesla or a gas-powered car like the Subaru Outback.

The Outback is a good reference mark, because it’s one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles you can buy.

Even so, the difference between the Subaru and an EV was significant.

And now one driver has laid those costs bare.

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Where you live makes a difference

Asking questions about the price of fuel in the US is the same as asking the average price of a meal.

The answer begins with the word ‘where’, and this applies to both gas and electricity.

According to the AAA (American Automobile Association), gas hovers at $3.04 per gallon nationwide, but there are significant regional differences.

For example, regular gas is $2.36 (per gallon) in Oklahoma, but it’s $4.46 in California.

The same applies to energy.

Electricity rates vary a lot, from around $0.17 per kWh in Idaho to over $0.40 in Hawaii.

According to the Tesla owner who compared the cost of her EV to a Subaru Outback, the EV still came out more cost-effective by a significant margin.

Assuming the same monthly mileage (1,123 miles, which apparently is the exact nationwide average), you’d need around $48 to charge your Tesla, and $117 to fill up your Subaru.

The other catch EV owners in the US should bear in mind

The first catch we mentioned is that both gas and electricity prices vary a lot depending on your state, but the other catch is that electricity cost also varies depending on the source, which is an extra factor to bear in mind.

Two gas stations a couple of miles apart in the same state will show roughly the same price per gallon, but when it comes to charging, the rate can easily double if you use fast chargers like a Tesla Supercharger.

Superchargers can be very expensive, almost as expensive as filling up your internal combustion vehicle with gasoline.

But, having said that, there’s no doubt that charging an EV is, generally speaking, cheaper than filling a gas car.

And after all, fuel economy isn’t the only reason people buy EVs, but for many buyers, it’s proving very important.

As you can see from the chart below, according to several surveys including AAA surveys, a combination of lower fuel cost and lower operating costs across the board is the still the main factor for EV buyers