$19.26 a Full Charge: Tesla Model S Charging Cost at Home

Charging a 2026 Tesla Model S costs about $19.26 for a full charge and $5.32 per 100 miles at 17¢/kWh — about $639 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

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Why this number

Charging a 2026 Tesla Model S costs about $19.26 for a full charge (~113 kWh) at the US average rate of 17¢/kWh — roughly $5.32 per 100 miles, or $639 a year at 12,000 miles. The Model S uses 31.3 kWh/100 mi on the EPA combined cycle. The Model S’s real cost scales with your own rate, from about 12¢ to over 50¢ across the US.

The Tesla Model S (EPA data for the 2026 model year, the newest the EPA lists; dollar figures use 2026 electricity rates) uses 31.3 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 S at about $5.32 per 100 miles — 5.32¢ a mile. That is comfortably better than average — 17th most efficient of the 67 current models tracked here — and puts running costs in the range most buyers hope for when they switch.

What a Model S costs to charge at every rate

The same Model S costs $3.87 per 100 miles at Idaho’s 12.35¢ and $16.50 at Hawaii’s 52.72¢ — a 4.3× spread that is entirely the rate:

Wall-side for the Model S: EPA’s 31.3 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 S’s 5.32¢ 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 S’s math in full — both formulas, and the electricity rate at which the advantage disappears.

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

EPA range across the lineup runs 309–410 miles, averaging 362. Multiplying that by the car’s efficiency gives roughly 113 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. That is a long range, and it means the per-charge cost below looks large simply because you are buying more miles at once — the per-mile figure is the one to compare.

The Model S on a public fast charger

On a public fast charger at about 48¢/kWh the Model S costs $15.02 per 100 miles against $5.32 at home — 2.8× — or roughly $1,803 a year instead of $639 if it never sees a home outlet. Why a session costs more than the posted price for a Model S (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 S’s $639 flat-rate figure.

The Model S in cold weather

A hard winter lifts the Model S from 31.3 to roughly 40.7 kWh/100 mi (the middle of the 20–40% rise real-world data shows), so $6.92 per 100 miles instead of $5.32 and an effective range nearer 278 miles than 362. The mechanics behind the Model S’s winter penalty — cabin heat, battery chemistry, preconditioning from the wall — are on the hub ; the Model S’s $639 annual figure above already averages the seasons.

Where the Model S sits against other EVs

Its nearest neighbors on efficiency are the Lexus RZ (31.2 kWh/100 mi) and the Volkswagen ID.4 (31.4 kWh/100 mi). The Model S at 31.3 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.

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

The EPA rates 3 configurations of the 2026 Model S, and they are not close: 27.1 kWh/100 mi for the most efficient, 36.2 for the least, a 34% spread. At 12,000 miles that is about $186 a year between the cheapest and most expensive version of the same Model S. 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 S at 31.3 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 3 , Tesla Model X , Tesla Cybertruck .

The tax question for the Model S, answered plainly

Nothing about the Model S 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 S on running cost and body style: Lexus RZ (31.2 kWh/100 mi), Volkswagen ID.4 (31.4 kWh/100 mi), Audi A6 e-tron (29.4 kWh/100 mi), Polestar 2 (33.2 kWh/100 mi).

Put the Model S’s $639 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 S in the Supercharger vs home calculator . All 67 EVs . The Model S is only one line on the household bill — the 40-appliance running-cost ranking shows where $639 a year of charging lands next to everyday loads like a refrigerator or a coffee maker .

Frequently asked questions

How we calculated this

Worked for the Model S: 31.3 kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 × 17¢ = $5.32 per 100 miles; 362 mi × 31.3 ÷ 100 = 113 kWh, × $0.17 = $19.26 per full charge; $5.32 × 12,000 ÷ 100 = $639 a year. The Model S’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 Volkswagen ID.4 — 31.4 kWh/100 mi against the Model S’s 31.3 — $5.34 vs $5.32 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Lexus RZ — 31.2 kWh/100 mi against the Model S’s 31.3 — $5.30 vs $5.32 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge a Kia EV3 — 31.0 kWh/100 mi against the Model S’s 31.3 — $5.27 vs $5.32 per 100 miles at 17¢.
• Cost to charge an EV: all 67 models ranked — Where the Model S’s $639 a year sits among 67 EVs, plus the fast-charging, cold-weather and tax explainers.
• EV vs gas cost calculator — The Model S’s 31.3 kWh/100 mi against your gas car’s mpg and your local pump price.