Tesla Model 3 Costs More To Charge Than A Gasoline Car

[TT97]

I had a moped in high school that could get over 80 miles on a gallon of gas. That was over 20 years ago, so I am extrapolating that today’s cars can average 100 miles to the gallon. The average price of gas in Arkansas is $2.39 per gallon so the average gasoline car costs 2.39 cents per mile to run.

The Model 3 on the other hand, “Tesla” says is rated at 310 miles on a full charge, however, we all know that is not true for real world driving. According to controlled testing by @mattcrowley at Laguna Seca ( Model 3 Track Day: Laguna Seca ), the true consumption of the Model 3 is 31 KW per 20.1 miles or 1,542 watts/mile. In Hawaii, Blink charges 79 cents per KW to charge. The Model 3 costs $1.22 per mile to run!!!

The Model 3 costs 51 times as much to run than your average car. This math is simply devastating.

Now of course, the lifecycle total cost of ownership doesn’t end there. In addition to the extra cost to charge, the Laguna Seca testing clearly shows that the Model 3 will require new brakes monthly – that is an additional $3,000-4,000 per year.

 

[insaneoctane]

You will get disagrees if they don't see the humor!

Quite funny BTW... You should be able to extrapolate that the brakes only last like 6 miles? Leguna Seca is 2.2 miles and brakes were gone after 3 laps .. Average driver in the US is 12K...how about that math!

 

[ebmcs03]

You’re using the extreme numbers. Arkansas gas and Hawaii electricity!?!?

Use California. $0.26 kw and $3.59 a gallon and let me know the cost.

 

[Zapped]

I had a moped in high school that could get over 80 miles on a gallon of gas. That was over 20 years ago, so I am extrapolating that today’s cars can average 100 miles to the gallon. The average price of gas in Arkansas is $2.39 per gallon so the average gasoline car costs 2.39 cents per mile to run.

The Model 3 on the other hand, “Tesla” says is rated at 310 miles on a full charge, however, we all know that is not true for real world driving. According to controlled testing by @mattcrowley at Laguna Seca ( Model 3 Track Day: Laguna Seca ), the true consumption of the Model 3 is 31 KW per 20.1 miles or 1,542 watts/mile. In Hawaii, Blink charges 79 cents per KW to charge. The Model 3 costs $1.22 per mile to run!!!

The Model 3 costs 51 times as much to run than your average car. This math is simply devastating.

Now of course, the lifecycle total cost of ownership doesn’t end there. In addition to the extra cost to charge, the Laguna Seca testing clearly shows that the Model 3 will require new brakes monthly – that is an additional $3,000-4,000 per year.

IDK, click bait or seriously funny.....

 

[Snowstorm]

Ontario electricity cost is 6.5cents per kWh (night time only). Feel fortunate...

 

[McRat]

How much COULD it cost to charge a Tesla Model 3 in Los Angeles, California?

If you are under TOU-GS-2 tariffs, and an EV charges at 10kW, the first 15 minutes from a Southern California Edison meter is $158.90 each month. The power itself is only about $5 give or take for a full charge, winter. The $158.90 is punishment for using a high kW load device. This is the winter rate. Summer is higher. The $158.90 is not time sensitive. Charge at 1am or 12 noon, it does not matter.

EV owners need to fear demand-based SCE tariffs. They are coming, and they are ugly. Today, it's just businesses. Tomorrow, your home.

Edit - if you are familiar with the CPUC and California politics, you should have a pretty good idea what is in store for us when the changeover to EV occurs. You thought it was an environment issue. No, that's just the marketing strategy. California wants more money from it's workers.

 

[Trips]

Don't forget the $500+ charger for your home + another $500 to have it installed just to be able to charge it.

 

[e-FTW]

Thank you @TT97 !
This exactly what I needed after catching up on the Model X crash thread (ugh) and watching humans fail at driving during a power outage on this street in L.A. (you have to STOP at each intersection, not roll and honk at everybody).

This is a joke thread folks... lol

 

[MXWing]

Where were you when Elon was trying to antisell the 3? You made a great case here.

I got referral a code for unlimited supercharging on the S if anyone needs it.

 

[McRat]

...
This is a joke thread folks... lol

My work truck gets 17 mpg at $4/gal. If I charged an EV last November at work (I'm the owner, the EVSE and SCE meter are mine), the EV cost more to refuel than a 3/4 ton truck.

And I have the same power company as the OP. So his title is absolutely accurate for some folk in California.

This is not an indictment of EVs. It's to point out how crooked the CPUC is today.

 

[TaoJones]

Not a joke, actually.

In town trips can produce a 40% penalty. Meaning 160 miles from a full charge in an S90D. That’s reality.

At $0.26, that’s $23.40 at a CA SC for the ungaraged owner. Gas is about $3.75 for premium now, which is what my last Volvo required. So that’s 6.24 gallons or 25.6mpg.

Now, 25.6mpg isn’t awful, but it’s not a stretch to find cars that do better than that in town.

Obviously, point to point on the highway, from SC to SC you’ll get every bit of the 294 rated if you drive on a flat stretch at 60mph and it’s not windy. Doesn’t matter.

In town, a lot of Model 3 owners, while they will enjoy greater efficiency than Model S/X owners, are in for a bit of a surprise. Ain’t no savings at SCs in CA, folks.

They’ll just have to settle for great safety and never having to smell gas fumes at a pump ever again.

 

[David L]

OP is simply trying out for a position on the Seeking Alpha editorial staff. I'd say OP nailed it! With such keen analytical skills, he'd fit right in at Seeking Alpha.

 

[Henry82]

In town, a lot of Model 3 owners, while they will enjoy greater efficiency than Model S/X owners, are in for a bit of a surprise. Ain’t no savings at SCs in CA, folks.

I rented a Model 3 and drove it on a typical Thursday workday with a lot of mixed driving... open highway (70+mph) in the morning, moderate traffic (30-50mph) in the afternoon, and rush hour (0-20mph) on the way home... stopped by the Hawthorne Space X supercharger and charged back the 100 miles I drove for $6.76... that's pretty good.

 

[Saghost]

How much COULD it cost to charge a Tesla Model 3 in Los Angeles, California?

If you are under TOU-GS-2 tariffs, and an EV charges at 10kW, the first 15 minutes from a Southern California Edison meter is $158.90 each month. The power itself is only about $5 give or take for a full charge, winter. The $158.90 is punishment for using a high kW load device. This is the winter rate. Summer is higher. The $158.90 is not time sensitive. Charge at 1am or 12 noon, it does not matter.

EV owners need to fear demand-based SCE tariffs. They are coming, and they are ugly. Today, it's just businesses. Tomorrow, your home.

Edit - if you are familiar with the CPUC and California politics, you should have a pretty good idea what is in store for us when the changeover to EV occurs. You thought it was an environment issue. No, that's just the marketing strategy. California wants more money from it's workers.

These days, there's a limit to how much money they can take from homeowners that way. If they start adding surcharges of a few hundred per month like that, the owners can respond by installing a Powerwall or two to mitigate the demand charges - which will then pay for themselves in a year or two from the electric bill savings alone.

 

[cmaster]

To be honest, charging my Tesla Model S for the month of January 2018 during the big cold spout that lasted for several weeks, it costs roughly 50$ - 130$/week in electricity for the Tesla Model S. I measure using a paid App that checks the daily charge rate vs kwh cost. Drove roughly 40 miles/day

Now, my wife also drive to work 40 miles/day in a Civic. Her weekly bill during that January 2018 cold spill stayed a consistent 15$/week.

So, if you are not living in the colder region, you may have the benefit of paying less. But, for people in the colder region, I wouldn't fool myself.

Please don't take this as a negative. It's the truth.

 

[EV forever]

I had a moped in high school that could get over 80 miles on a gallon of gas. That was over 20 years ago, so I am extrapolating that today’s cars can average 100 miles to the gallon. The average price of gas in Arkansas is $2.39 per gallon so the average gasoline car costs 2.39 cents per mile to run.

The Model 3 on the other hand, “Tesla” says is rated at 310 miles on a full charge, however, we all know that is not true for real world driving. According to controlled testing by @mattcrowley at Laguna Seca ( Model 3 Track Day: Laguna Seca ), the true consumption of the Model 3 is 31 KW per 20.1 miles or 1,542 watts/mile. In Hawaii, Blink charges 79 cents per KW to charge. The Model 3 costs $1.22 per mile to run!!!

The Model 3 costs 51 times as much to run than your average car. This math is simply devastating.

Now of course, the lifecycle total cost of ownership doesn’t end there. In addition to the extra cost to charge, the Laguna Seca testing clearly shows that the Model 3 will require new brakes monthly – that is an additional $3,000-4,000 per year.

You get my vote for the ‘editor’s pick’ article on seeking alpha!!! In fact, you should post articles like this for every article on SA.
I refuse to click on any article on SA by that particular author on matter on principle so did not read the original article on SA by the same title. I am guessing the math there was ‘exponentially greater’ than yours?

 

[Electroman]

OP is simply trying out for a position on the Seeking Alpha editorial staff. I'd say OP nailed it! With such keen analytical skills, he'd fit right in at Seeking Alpha.

.. and OP would put Anton Whalman to shame with this article.

 

[Snowstorm]

To be honest, charging my Tesla Model S for the month of January 2018 during the big cold spout that lasted for several weeks, it costs roughly 50$ - 130$/week in electricity for the Tesla Model S. I measure using a paid App that checks the daily charge rate vs kwh cost. Drove roughly 40 miles/day

Now, my wife also drive to work 40 miles/day in a Civic. Her weekly bill during that January 2018 cold spill stayed a consistent 15$/week.

So, if you are not living in the colder region, you may have the benefit of paying less. But, for people in the colder region, I wouldn't fool myself.

Please don't take this as a negative. It's the truth.

I have the entirely opposite situation even though we live in Toronto Canada, pretty cold. We have a model S100d and Honda Odassey.

Even during the coldest period in winter, the Model S cost way less to run compared to the Odassey. Yes, I loose 30-40% range when it was really cold so it only runs for 300km instead of 500km. Even still, the operational cost was only 1/5 that of the van. It cost me $7.5 for each 100kWh including 10% charging losses (6.5 cent per kWh), and it would take 30 litre of gas to cover the same 300km the model S can travel in the coldest day of winter in the odassey. At $1.3 per litre, that is almost $40.

I also don’t have to freeze me hands off filling up gas in at a gas station, and always have warm and toasty preheated car.

 

[Runt8]

Not a joke, actually.

In town trips can produce a 40% penalty. Meaning 160 miles from a full charge in an S90D. That’s reality.

At $0.26, that’s $23.40 at a CA SC for the ungaraged owner. Gas is about $3.75 for premium now, which is what my last Volvo required. So that’s 6.24 gallons or 25.6mpg.

Now, 25.6mpg isn’t awful, but it’s not a stretch to find cars that do better than that in town.

Obviously, point to point on the highway, from SC to SC you’ll get every bit of the 294 rated if you drive on a flat stretch at 60mph and it’s not windy. Doesn’t matter.

In town, a lot of Model 3 owners, while they will enjoy greater efficiency than Model S/X owners, are in for a bit of a surprise. Ain’t no savings at SCs in CA, folks.

They’ll just have to settle for great safety and never having to smell gas fumes at a pump ever again.

Not sure I follow this - EVs are generally more efficient in stop and go traffic than ICE. More regenerative braking and much less wind resistance than on the highway. It seems like your Volvo would take an even worse hit in town.

 

[Sawyer8888]

The true cost of filling our gasoline-powered cars...

Indonesia Has Declared a State of Emergency as Borneo Oil Spill Spreads

Now, which one costs more?