How Much Does It Cost to Charge a Tesla Model 3 at Home? $15.19

Charging a 2026 Tesla Model 3 costs about $15.19 for a full charge and $4.59 per 100 miles at 17¢/kWh — about $551 a year at 12,000 miles.

Updated September 2026 · Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · EPA fueleconomy.gov · next EIA update ~Oct 23

On this page: CalculatorTableHow we calculatedSources

Jump to calculator ↓

Why this number

Charging a 2026 Tesla Model 3 costs about $15.19 for a full charge (~89 kWh) at the US average rate of 17¢/kWh — roughly $4.59 per 100 miles, or $551 a year at 12,000 miles. The Model 3 uses 27.0 kWh/100 mi on the EPA combined cycle. The Model 3’s real cost scales with your own rate, from about 12¢ to over 50¢ across the US.

The Tesla Model 3 (EPA data for the 2026 model year, the newest the EPA lists; dollar figures use 2026 electricity rates) uses 27.0 kWh per 100 miles on the EPA combined cycle — the wall-outlet figure, so charging losses are already counted (look up your exact trim at fueleconomy.gov ). At the US average residential rate of 17¢/kWh that puts the Model 3 at about $4.59 per 100 miles — 4.59¢ a mile. That puts it among the most efficient EVs on sale: 2 out of the 67 current models tracked here, ordered from least to most energy used. Efficiency at this level is what makes an EV genuinely cheap to run rather than merely cheaper than gasoline.

What a Model 3 costs to charge at every rate

The same Model 3 costs $3.33 per 100 miles at Idaho’s 12.35¢ and $14.23 at Hawaii’s 52.72¢ — a 4.3× spread that is entirely the rate:

Wall-side for the Model 3: EPA’s 27.0 kWh/100 mi is measured at the outlet, charger losses included; quick-fill your state above for your own figure.

That per-mile figure is the one to hold against gasoline: at 17¢/kWh the Model 3’s 4.59¢ a mile compares with about 13.6¢ for a 30-mpg gas car at $4.07 a gallon (EIA weekly, Aug 31, 2026). The EV vs gas cost guide works the Model 3’s math in full — both formulas, and the electricity rate at which the advantage disappears.

Range: what a “full charge” of the Model 3 really means

EPA range across the lineup runs 309–363 miles, averaging 331. Multiplying that by the car’s efficiency gives roughly 89 kWh to refill a full range from empty, which is the honest way to think about a ‘full charge’ — battery capacity figures include a buffer you never actually use.

The Model 3 on a public fast charger

On a public fast charger at about 48¢/kWh the Model 3 costs $12.96 per 100 miles against $4.59 at home — 2.8× — or roughly $1,555 a year instead of $551 if it never sees a home outlet. Why a session costs more than the posted price for a Model 3 (10–80% charging curve, idle fees, per-minute billing) is explained once on the cost-to-charge hub ; the EV time-of-use calculator nets an overnight rate against the Model 3’s $551 flat-rate figure.

The Model 3 in cold weather

A hard winter lifts the Model 3 from 27.0 to roughly 35.1 kWh/100 mi (the middle of the 20–40% rise real-world data shows), so $5.97 per 100 miles instead of $4.59 and an effective range nearer 255 miles than 331. The mechanics behind the Model 3’s winter penalty — cabin heat, battery chemistry, preconditioning from the wall — are on the hub ; the Model 3’s $551 annual figure above already averages the seasons.

Where the Model 3 sits against other EVs

Its nearest neighbors on efficiency are the Tesla Model Y (26.9 kWh/100 mi) and the Lucid Air (27.3 kWh/100 mi). The Model 3 at 27.0 kWh/100 mi sits against a set that runs from the Tesla Model Y at 26.9 kWh/100 mi, and the least efficient is the GMC Hummer EV at 67.8 — a spread that changes annual charging cost by $834 a year at 17¢/kWh and 12,000 miles. Cross-shopping at the efficient end of the table, the next-most-efficient rival beyond those: Toyota bZ (27.8 kWh/100 mi).

Trims: does the Model 3 version you pick change the bill?

The EPA rates 5 configurations of the 2026 Model 3, and they are not close: 24.3 kWh/100 mi for the most efficient, 30.2 for the least, a 24% spread. At 12,000 miles that is about $120 a year between the cheapest and most expensive version of the same Model 3. Bigger wheels, all-wheel drive and performance tunes are usually what separates them — worth knowing before you tick the options box.

How it compares inside the Tesla range

The Model 3 at 27.0 kWh/100 mi sits among 5 Tesla EVs tracked here, running from 26.9 (Model Y) to 43.1 (Cybertruck). Also on this site: Tesla Model Y , Tesla Model S , Tesla Model X , Tesla Cybertruck .

The tax question for the Model 3, answered plainly

Nothing about the Model 3 changes that: the rules are the same for every EV, and the full 2026 position — §30D, §25E, the ended §30C charger credit, state programs — is in the energy tax credit guide and on the cost-to-charge hub .

Related

Closest comparisons to the Model 3 on running cost and body style: Tesla Model Y (26.9 kWh/100 mi), Lucid Air (27.3 kWh/100 mi), Mercedes-Benz CLA (29.0 kWh/100 mi).

Put the Model 3’s $551 a year against a gas car in the EV vs gas calculator , check your state’s rate , or price a road-trip stop for a Model 3 in the Supercharger vs home calculator . All 67 EVs . The Model 3 is only one line on the household bill — the 40-appliance running-cost ranking shows where $551 a year of charging lands next to everyday loads like a gaming PC or a well pump .

Frequently asked questions

How we calculated this

Worked for the Model 3: 27.0 kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 × 17¢ = $4.59 per 100 miles; 331 mi × 27.0 ÷ 100 = 89 kWh, × $0.17 = $15.19 per full charge; $4.59 × 12,000 ÷ 100 = $551 a year. The Model 3’s gasoline comparison is 12,000 ÷ 30 mpg × $4.07 = $1,628. EPA combined ratings, measured at the wall.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

Where to go next

• Cost to charge a Tesla Model Y — 26.9 kWh/100 mi against the Model 3’s 27.0 — $4.57 vs $4.59 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Lucid Air — 27.3 kWh/100 mi against the Model 3’s 27.0 — $4.64 vs $4.59 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Toyota bZ — 27.8 kWh/100 mi against the Model 3’s 27.0 — $4.73 vs $4.59 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge an EV: all 67 models ranked — Where the Model 3’s $551 a year sits among 67 EVs, plus the fast-charging, cold-weather and tax explainers.
• EV vs gas cost calculator — The Model 3’s 27.0 kWh/100 mi against your gas car’s mpg and your local pump price.