The short version
- Energy cost is miles × efficiency ÷ charging efficiency × your rate. Home and public rates can differ a lot.
- Energy is one line. Depreciation, insurance, financing, tax, registration and tires are separate.
- Economic cost of the car is purchase price minus resale value, plus finance interest. Do not also add the loan principal.
- Texas charges fully electric vehicles a $200 EV surcharge at annual renewal on top of normal fees, with exceptions.
01
Annual energy: the easy part, done carefully
Multiply the energy you purchase by the rate you pay. Energy purchased is higher than the energy the car reports for driving, because some is lost in charging. That is why the examples below divide by a charging efficiency.(Source: Tesla Support: Charging (opens in a new tab))
- Annual driving: 12,000 miles at an assumed 0.28 kWh per mile = 3,360 kWh used.
- Assumed 90 percent charging efficiency: 3,360 ÷ 0.90 = 3,733.33 kWh purchased.
- All home charging at a hypothetical $0.15 per kWh: 3,733.33 × 0.15 = $560.00 per year.
- All public charging at a hypothetical $0.40 per kWh: 3,733.33 × 0.40 = $1,493.33 per year.
- A hypothetical 80 percent home, 20 percent public mix: $448.00 + $298.67 = $746.67 per year.
Where you charge can change annual energy cost by roughly $933 in this example. That is energy only.
Assumptions: Rates here are illustrative, not current tariffs. They exclude depreciation, insurance, financing, tax, registration and tires. Austin Energy does not serve all of Central Texas; use your own provider's plan and fees.
Use the Charging Cost Calculator for your own energy numbers and the EV vs Gas Calculator to compare against a gasoline car on fuel. If you do not have home charging, the companion guide on charging without a garage covers the weekly version of this arithmetic.
02
Home charging vs Supercharging
Home AC charging is usually slower and is suited to overnight top ups. DC Supercharging is faster, but the actual rate depends on vehicle hardware, state of charge and battery temperature, so a marketed maximum speed is not a guarantee for your session.(Source: Tesla Support: Charging (opens in a new tab))
| Factor | Home AC charging | Supercharging (DC) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical role | Daily top ups while parked overnight | Road trips and quick top ups when you need energy soon |
| Charging speed | Slower; set by the circuit, charger and car | Faster; actual rate varies with hardware, state of charge and temperature |
| Price | Your utility plan, plus fixed monthly fees | Shown in the Tesla app; varies by site, time and occupancy |
| When the price is set | Your tariff period and plan rules | The rate at plug in applies to that session and does not change mid session |
| Upfront cost | Possible charger and installation, from a written quote | None, but idle or congestion fees may apply |
- Home: 40 kWh purchased from the utility at an assumed $0.15 per kWh = $6.00.
- Supercharger: 40 kWh billed at an assumed $0.40 per kWh = $16.00.
- Difference in energy charges: $16.00 − $6.00 = $10.00.
In this hypothetical, the same billed quantity costs $10.00 more at the Supercharger. It compares billed energy only.
Assumptions: Rates are illustrative, not tariffs or current app prices. Equal billed kWh are not necessarily equal energy delivered to the battery, because each is metered at a different point; the 40 kWh home figure already counts as purchased, so do not apply a charging loss to it again. Excludes installation, parking, idle or congestion fees and fixed utility fees.
Choose a charging plan in five steps
- Estimate weekly energy with the Charging Cost Calculator using your own miles and efficiency.
- Look up your actual utility rate and fixed fees on your bill or provider's site.
- Open the Tesla app at the Superchargers you would use and note the price at the times you would charge.
- If home charging is possible, get a written electrician quote before counting it as cheaper.
- Pick a home and Supercharger mix, then review it after a month of real sessions.
Assumptions: App prices change, and your utility plan sets home cost. Treat any estimate as a planning range, not a quote.(Source: Tesla Support: Supercharging (opens in a new tab))
03
The full list of cost lines
| Cost line | Where your number comes from | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Depreciation | Purchase price minus what you eventually sell for | Using someone else's resale story as a forecast |
| Finance interest | Your loan's total interest, from the lender's disclosure | Adding the full monthly payment as a cost on top of purchase price |
| Energy | Your miles, efficiency and actual rates | Ignoring charging losses or public price differences |
| Insurance | Real quotes for the exact vehicle and driver | Assuming another owner's premium applies to you |
| Sales tax | 6.25 percent of taxable amount less eligible trade in, confirmed by county | Forgetting it in the first year |
| Registration and EV surcharge | Normal fees plus the EV surcharge, confirmed by county | Missing the surcharge, or counting a two year amount as annual |
| Tires and maintenance | Manual schedule and local quotes | Assuming an EV needs no maintenance |
| Home charging installation | A written electrician quote | Assuming the charger price includes installation |
The Texas Comptroller lists motor vehicle sales tax at 6.25 percent, less eligible trade in credit. The Texas DMV lists a $200 annual EV surcharge for fully electric vehicles of 10,000 pounds or less at renewal, in addition to normal fees, and a $400 surcharge for eligible new EVs on an initial two year registration. Exceptions exist and your county confirms what you owe.(Source: Texas Comptroller: Motor Vehicle Sales and Use Tax (opens in a new tab); Texas DMV: Register Your Vehicle (opens in a new tab))
04
Cash flow versus economic cost
If you finance, there are two valid but different views. Cash flow asks what leaves your bank account each month: the down payment and loan payments. Economic cost asks what owning the car actually cost you: purchase price minus resale value, plus the interest you paid. Loan payments are mostly principal, and principal is just the purchase price paid over time. Adding both the purchase price and every loan payment counts the car twice.
| View | Formula | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cash flow | Down payment + monthly payments + running costs | Whether the budget works month to month |
| Economic cost | (Purchase price − resale value) + total finance interest + running costs | Comparing true cost of ownership between cars |
05
Incentives are not an automatic offset
Federal, state and utility programs change, and eligibility depends on the vehicle, buyer and timing. Do not subtract an incentive from your cost model until you have confirmed current eligibility through official sources. The club's Texas incentives and Austin Energy rebate pages are maintained as starting points.
06
A worksheet you can fill in
Gather these numbers before you compare
- Your annual miles and an efficiency figure for the model you are considering.
- Your actual home electricity rate and fees, or your public charging mix.
- A real insurance quote for that exact vehicle.
- The lender's total interest disclosure, if financing.
- Sales tax, title, registration and EV surcharge, confirmed with your county.
- Tire replacement and maintenance items from the owner's manual.
- Your own conservative resale assumption, clearly labeled as an assumption.
Member charging evidence
No documented member case published yet
Every figure on this page is a hypothetical example or an official published price. None of it is a member record. When an owner shares real bills that pass review, it will appear here with its period, method and review date.
What a usable record needs
- Your own bills, receipts or app screens for the period, with account numbers, addresses and VIN redacted before anyone else sees them.
- Plan or rate name, price basis (per kWh, per minute or per session) and units written out.
- Each value marked observed or estimated. Estimates are labeled, never blended into observed totals.
- Written consent to publish, and the display name you choose: initials, an alias, or your name.
Related FAQ answers
Short overview answers on the Tesla FAQ that this guide expands.
- Costs, Warranty & InsuranceHow do I estimate the electricity cost of driving a Tesla?
- Costs, Warranty & InsuranceIs a Tesla cheaper to own than a gasoline car?
- Costs, Warranty & InsuranceIs a Tesla expensive to insure?
- Costs, Warranty & InsuranceWill a Tesla hold its resale value?
- Costs, Warranty & InsuranceDoes buying a Tesla qualify for a tax credit?
- Buying & DeliveryCan I finance or lease a Tesla?
- Charging at HomeHow much does a home charger installation cost?
- Public Charging & Road TripsHow much does Supercharging cost?
- Public Charging & Road TripsIs Tesla Supercharging free?
- Maintenance & ServiceWhat maintenance does a Tesla need?
- Maintenance & ServiceDoes a Tesla need oil changes?
- Maintenance & ServiceHow often should Tesla tires be rotated?
- Battery & RangeHow much does a Tesla battery replacement cost?
Useful next
Compare notes with Austin owners
Questions like these come up at club meetups. Bring yours.
- See upcoming club eventsCurrent listings, with any registration handled on the events page.
- Join Tesla Owners Club of AustinMembership details for local owners and Tesla fans.