I just added my SoCal Eduson plan to my tesla account. It already has peak, off peak, etc. and rates. It is calculating that my charging cost is $250 more than equivalent gas! Is that true? I only have about 10% supercharging, 10% peak charging, and the rest off peak about 80%. Did I do something wrong or the EV savings is just a marketing hoax?
-
Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
Does EV charging actualy cost more than gas?!
- Thread starter raydar
- Start date
ATPMSD
Active Member
Almost certainly your math is bad.
For an ICE car, let’s assume you pay $4/gal and an equivalent size and capable car gets 25 MPG, so you cost per mile is $0.16.
For the EV, let’s assume you are charging only during off-peak, which you should be, and your cost per kW is $0.25. Next we need the Model X consumption, the “standard” value is 330 Wh/mi, so one 1 kW will propel you 3-miles. So your EV cost per mile is $0.25 / 3 = $0.083. (Corrected)
Plug in your values.
For an ICE car, let’s assume you pay $4/gal and an equivalent size and capable car gets 25 MPG, so you cost per mile is $0.16.
For the EV, let’s assume you are charging only during off-peak, which you should be, and your cost per kW is $0.25. Next we need the Model X consumption, the “standard” value is 330 Wh/mi, so one 1 kW will propel you 3-miles. So your EV cost per mile is $0.25 / 3 = $0.083. (Corrected)
Plug in your values.
Last edited:
Did you buy both a model Y and a model X before looking into your costs to charge them? Your math is probably bad, but if you are thinking "ev savings is a marketing hoax" why did you buy 2 EVs and more than 6 months apart?
You mean cost per kWh and 1 kWh?
There is huge variation in electricity cost in the US, ranging from some plans that are free off-peak to crazy high prices (e.g. most of California and Hawaii).
EV2-A on Pacific Gouge & Extort was 35.2 cents per kWh off-peak (page 2 of Wayback Machine) until a recent temporary price drop for the summer (PG&E EV2A rate went up by 20% March 1).
There is also huge variation in gasoline prices in the US but not by as much as electricity. Our gasoline (petrol) prices are way lower than the UK. Per AAA Gas Prices, it's $3.506 per USD per US gallon national average and $4.655 per US gal in California.
So, let's say you drove an efficient car (e.g. Compare Side-by-Side) and got 48 miles per US gallon combined (I owned an 06 Prius for a long time and when I tracked my lifetime average, I was getting about 44 mpg). $4.655 / 48 = 0.096875 or about 9.68 cents per mile.
If you got only 3.33 miles per kWh, at 35.2 cents per kWh, it'd be 10.57 cents per mile.
Last edited:
ATPMSD
Active Member
Skavatar
Member
depends on the cost of gas vs cost of electricity in your area. in Houston electricity is around $0.12, then there's free night plans you can get, which would be way cheaper to charge but then i'll pay more to run the A/C during the day, so I got the flat rate, and i was able to charge both our Teslas to 100% the afternoon before Hurricane Beryl made a direct hit on us. gas is around $2.89 so its about 60% cheaper than gas. but the car insurance is almost double, so.
ucmndd
Well-Known Member
Choose an appropriate plan, like TOU-D-Prime and NEVER charge during peak period.
If you’re on the wrong plan then charging can definitely be very expensive.
If you’re on the wrong plan then charging can definitely be very expensive.
Under my non-EV TOU-DR II San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) plan,super off-peak (12 MN-6 am) electricity generation is very cheap but electricity delivery is just as expensive as during the peak hours. Delivery is a very large part of my bill. When I consider switching to the EV plan, the cost of electricity generation during peak and off-peak times increases significantly. Only the super-off peak usage rates are low, rates at other times are significantly higher.Choose an appropriate plan, like TOU-D-Prime and NEVER charge during peak period.
If you’re on the wrong plan then charging can definitely be very expensive.
It takes a rocket scientist to understand SDGE billing. I expect to save a couple of hundred dollars per month by charging twice a week at my convenient supercharger rather than at home. When I lived in Sacramento and used SMUD, it seemed like charging at home during super off-peak hours (MN- 6 am) was dirt cheap. This is definitely not the case in San Diego.
I don't do any math. Tesla does it. I was just playing around the app and saw I can actually tell it what power company I have and what my plan is. I selected those and actually I see there's $84 saving 
saving is over the last 3 months or so. The car is new. So just paid attention to not to charge it during peak, but definitely not going to get close to those "savings" that Tesla website claims when it's showing you the car price. This is the whole screenshot.
saving is over the last 3 months or so. The car is new. So just paid attention to not to charge it during peak, but definitely not going to get close to those "savings" that Tesla website claims when it's showing you the car price. This is the whole screenshot.Returned that model Y and doubled the money and bought an X. What an idiot
just kidding! Just for the look honestly. Doors open cool, kids loved it. They don't care anymore 
wife loves the interior and look. It's actually her car, I just monkey around with the app. She doesn't care what costs how much. I would've probably still bought it without these family incentives, but still there are many legit disappointments for me that don't fit this topic.
ATPMSD
Active Member
The Tesla chart is not really all that accurate. If you really want to compare the cost of an ICE car to an EV you have to figure out your cost per mile.
I’m thinking it’s reasonable for Tesla to use a common or average utility rate and assume those with exceptionally higher rates would know it.
You could maybe charge at better times. You’re only charging at off-peak half the time according to the lifetime chart at the bottom…
Even think about solar?
Luck with it!
You could maybe charge at better times. You’re only charging at off-peak half the time according to the lifetime chart at the bottom…
Even think about solar?
Luck with it!
I don't do any math. Tesla does it. I was just playing around the app and saw I can actually tell it what power company I have and what my plan is. I selected those and actually I see there's $84 saving
View attachment 1068733
The Tesla website "Gas savings" are ment to be a national average, and if you look at it, it says that (and now it allows you to change variables to meet your local situation). I always hated (and still do) that they default prices with that metric built in, because averages dont matter to YOU when YOU are contemplating buying.
I really dont care what the cost is for someone in Ohio or Kentucky, when I live in California (and they shouldnt care about my costs either). Since Tesla lets you change the values, I have less of an issue with the marketing, but I still dont like it. Since they let you change the values now, anyone interested in this should be doing that or turning off the slider for that and ignoring it completely.
Thus, I also feel that this is on the purchaser to understand before they buy, or not care about before they buy.
Is there a way to set the gas price in Tesla app.
With gas price set in the app, the saving is calculated by the app.
I had to calculate the saving myself based on gas price in my area.
Roughly 400$ per every 4K miles driven.
With gas price set in the app, the saving is calculated by the app.
I had to calculate the saving myself based on gas price in my area.
Roughly 400$ per every 4K miles driven.
Unlike the electrical rates, I don’t think it is possible to change the equivalent gas price used by the app. However it does tell you what it assumes for that value. In my case it is a little high, currently 4.65 /gal in my state, 3.80 would be closer. Click on the little i next to “Gas Savings.”
Electrical pricing uses the actual tariff from my specific utility and the rate plan I am on, including the time of day. The rates I pay here to keep our EVs charged are so cheap, I could use an extra decimal place of precision. Summer off peak 2.331¢/kWh; Winter off peak rate 2.764¢/kWh. Summer vs Winter, the time periods move around a little, and summer introduces a mid-peak rate (5.507¢/kWh), but there are at least 12 hours per day at the off-peak rate. In July, I spent a grand total of $9.70 to keep both of our Teslas fueled. Now we didn’t go anywhere in July, so our usage was down. But I never see over $20. It’s crazy! Supercharger rates around here run from 32 to 38¢/kWh, AFAICT not time sensitive.
Lectric_Agent
2019 MXPL+ Raven
Im on SCE's tou-d-prime plan and have been for about 4yrs. It ends up saving me enough to basically charge my MX for free.
Even though you can select that plan in the Tesla app, the rates don't get updated. I have been manually changing the cost per kWh over the past couple years (as SCE has increased their rates). If I log into my account and compare TOU plans, they would all cost me well over $1k per year more. On top of that, when I signed up I was able to get a $1000 check from SCE just for having an EV. Not sure if that program still exists.
I have a Raven Performance Ludicrous. If I drove a similar size ICE SUV with this kind of power, I'd be spending an additional $500+ per month in gas. I love that I can punch it without the mpg penalty!
Even though you can select that plan in the Tesla app, the rates don't get updated. I have been manually changing the cost per kWh over the past couple years (as SCE has increased their rates). If I log into my account and compare TOU plans, they would all cost me well over $1k per year more. On top of that, when I signed up I was able to get a $1000 check from SCE just for having an EV. Not sure if that program still exists.
I have a Raven Performance Ludicrous. If I drove a similar size ICE SUV with this kind of power, I'd be spending an additional $500+ per month in gas. I love that I can punch it without the mpg penalty!
Where do you live to get this soooo low rate ? In my are, the off peak rate was 27c/kWh last year, now 32c/kWh.
Still, I save a 1$ for every 10 miles driven, a consolation. The at home charging is hard to beat by any ICE car.
@DCGOO
Sir, did those rates include transportation costs? Golly, those rates are not only below cost of wholesale generation not too far from you, they are below transportation costs too! I mean good for you, but wow!
I can sorta see a low off peak generation cost, but I’m shocked (pun) they lower the transport too!
Details?
Sir, did those rates include transportation costs? Golly, those rates are not only below cost of wholesale generation not too far from you, they are below transportation costs too! I mean good for you, but wow!
I can sorta see a low off peak generation cost, but I’m shocked (pun) they lower the transport too!
Details?
Similar threads
