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Topics: Tesla, Reddit, Cars, Electric Cars
Ella Scott
Tesla owners have weighed in on how much their energy bills have increased since they began driving an Elon Musk-approved vehicle—and you may be surprised by their answers.
According to Pew Research Center data, about one-third of Americans said they would seriously consider purchasing an electric vehicle (EV).
And with benefits including emitting zero tailpipe emissions and being cheaper to run than petrol or diesel cars, you can probably understand why.
But EVs don’t run on air. Many Tesla drivers choose to install garage-based chargers so they can plug in overnight.
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While convenient, charging your car in the comfort of your own home does still cost money, with the price likely reflecting in inflated energy bills.
So, how much does it cost to run a Tesla? Redditors have revealed all.
Late last year, a potential Model Y owner used the popular r/TeslaLounge Reddit thread and spoke to other petrol heads about how much their energy bills increased after they started charging their car at home.
They asked: “I was just wondering for those who charge their cars at home, do you notice a big difference in your electricity bill from before you had a Tesla?”
Hundreds of Reddit users responded with varying answers, including one Californian who said that charging their Tesla had doubled their energy costs.
Another responded: “I just paid a $572 electric bill from this past month, my Tesla being less than 5 percent of my electricity usage. AC is nuts!”
A third said that while they have personally noticed a ‘big difference’ in their electricity bill, the price other people pay depends on their situation.
This includes: how many kilometres the car is clocking up annually; how often it's charged at home; average electricity prices, and whether homes have solar panels instaled.
“I live in Ohio I use a mobile charger to charge every night I drive about 12k miles a year.
“My electric bill has gone up around 50-100 bucks monthly between winter and summer. Most of that I account to the car. Well worth it since gas was much more expensive monthly,” commented someone else.
A fifth replied: “Your bill will go up especially as your drive more. But consider what you are spending on electricity and compare that to what it would cost to go the same distance in a gas car.”
They also revealed a ‘hack’ that frequent travelers may be able to capitalise on.
“Also consider if you travel, many hotels offer free charging,” they claimed.
According to NerdWallet, more than 1400 Hilton Hotels in the United States offer free EV charging stations.
If you want to find out exactly how much it will cost to charge your Tesla, then you can use the company’s free Charging Calculator.
Use the tool to toggle what kind of car you have and input how many miles you drive daily to get an accurate reading.
Alongside the charge cost, the Tesla calculator reveals how much money you will be saving on gas.
For example, a Model Y that drives 30 miles per day is likely to cost $1.51 per day to charge, saving you $2.16 at the gas station.
This works out at around $46 per month, saving a total of $65.80.
These statistics are based on a fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon for a comparable gasoline-powered car, and the average price of $0.18 per kilowatt-hour forr residentual electricity.
You can access the Tesla Charging Calculator to see how much you can save for yourself here.