Is it possible to "measure" how much power is used to charge my Tesla in the garage for tax purposes

[AllCattleNoHat]

New Model Y is in garage, new wall charger being installed next week.

Previously we tracked our fuel purchases and were able to deduct some/most of them for business purposes. When using a Supercharger that works as well.

However when using a home charger is there a way or place to actually measure the amount of energy used to charge the car over a given period of time (day, month, quarter, whatever) so that the actual cost for this aspect can be tracked, documented, and reported for tax purposes?

I searched and did not find an answer....Thanks!

 

[jstjohnz]

There is a 3rd party app called stats for Tesla that will do that.

 

[user212_nr]

It is probably not worthwhile to install an electric meter, but it is something to consider given that you have not yet done the electrical work.

https://www.amazon.com/DAE-P103-200-S-KIT-Submeter-208-240v/dp/B07JF5YHXP

Another option is various non-Tesla charging stations that have Wifi capabilities and a nice control panel. I won't link any, as there are many. The disadvantage is that they are J1772 and you will need to use a somewhat bulky adapter. Advantages are that it is no more expensive than the Tesla charger and they have nice user interfaces.

Using any kind of car-based or app-based tracker will provide a useful under-estimate of the electrical usage that does not account for various inefficiencies in the charging process.

 

[Kimo]

I use teslamate with my Y as well as my home consumption meter that I had installed when I got my solar panels. So far teslamate has been very accurate on how much my Y is using in both actual consumption as well what went into the battery. I am finding it very interesting on how longer charges are more efficient than short charges.

 

[bsietz]

I use Teslafi - not an app but a web service at Teslafi.com. It provides stats on drives, charges, software updates and tracks costs. Best utility for the tesla - only regret is that I missed the first month or so of stats when I got my car before I even knew about it!

Give it a try - free to try it out and reasonable costs if you subscribe. Use my referral bsietz for an extra two weeks trial.

Enjoy!

 

[Cigar Man]

There is a 3rd party app called stats for Tesla that will do that.

Does anyone know if there is an Android version? I looked through the Play Store and couldn't find Tesla Stats. From what I've seen on Reddit, its an Apple only app, but would like to be sure.

 

[Hblick48]

This is the meter installed in my Dryer Buddy. It shows kwh consumed by the charger. Your electrician should be able to install it. Only costs $17.99

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRZAFAF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[DRM4]

I have a JuiceBox 40 which provides data on how much energy is provided per charging session and total. That may help you.

 

[TE$LA VNC]

I have a JuiceBox 40 which provides data on how much energy is provided per charging session and total. That may help you.

Hi

can you please share more details on this ? does it show daily, monthly reports etc?

 

[pt19713]

I use TezLab. The free version holds 7 days of data. You can opt for the pro version if you need/ want the additional features.

You can also see my crappy defective Gen3 HPWC dropping the amps from 48 to 24.

 

[Kimo]

Here is snippet of what I see from TeslaMate.

I compared this info with my whole home consumption meter on my Solar System, and it is very accurate.

 

[ICS1]

Have you considered using standard mileage deduction? I got my MY about a month ago. I think I am going to use that method.

Business Mileage Deduction 101 | How to Calculate Mileage for Taxes

 

[Rockster]

I think you’ll come out ahead by using the standard mileage deduction because it’s almost certainly more per mile than your actual cost per mile.

 

[Barrygold]

ChargePoint chargers track all the data you’re looking for in their app. Charges at 48 amp too

 

[fparent]

Try Teslafi

 

[Koolio46]

Regarding the standard mileage rate (2020 = $0.575 per mile), just note that the IRS publishes the new rates for the following year in December (usually, early to mid-December).

As for energy usage, the 3rd party apps ppl linked to give much more accurate usage. I haven't installed / used them (yet) since I'm a bit concerned about potential vampire drain.

One other option is to use Optiwatt; it's a web app that tracks when your car is plugged in and measures how much energy is charged and takes into account your electricity rates. Here's a screenshot.