I feel like this question is the most common question I get asked from non-EV users. For this blog, I will try my best to be as transparent as possible in the most concise and digestible way for all my readers. This is the best estimate on how much it costs to charge my Tesla and I will be comparing the charging costs against how much it costs to fill up my gasoline car which is a 2011 BMW 323i.
We will assume the follow charging rates from BC Hydro electricity (BC Hydro, 2022) 0.14 cents per kwh (BC Hydro has two rates, step 1 rate of $0.09 per kWh and step 2 rate of $0.14 per kWh, the average household tends to pass the step 1 threshold so we will be using the step 2 rate to calculate the electricity cost). To make thing’s easier, I have an iPhone app that tracks my at-home charging history on my Tesla Model 3 called “Optiwatt” (not sponsored). The app does not track how much I spend on Tesla Superchargers or Pay per use public charging stations (these tend to cost ~$0.50 per kWh) which I have never used since I got the vehicle.
For gas prices, we will assume premium gasoline costs $2.00 per litre since BMW’s and other german vehicles require premium gasoline (Park Ave BMW, 2020). I could provide receipts here of all my gasoline purchases, but I will just estimate how much it costs me to fill up my BMW with an average amount of driving.
Let’s start with the Tesla Model 3, since I got the car in March 2021, it has only costed me a total of $409.82 with 27,353 kilometers on the odometer. To put it into perspective, a full tank of gas on my BMW 323i costs me ~$120 which gives me ~600km of range. This means that, if I spent $400 on gas for my BMW, I would only get to drive a distance of ~2,000km versus the entire 27,353 total kms driven on the Tesla! Don’t believe me? Here are the screenshots from my optiwatt account…
This is just a quick and easy way to explain how much it costs to charge my Tesla Model 3. Charging costs vary by municipalities, countries, and the type of chargers you use. I’m hoping this gives my readers a glimpse of how cheap it is to charge a Tesla. Of course there are many other factors that go beyond the scope of this blog, but I am more than happy to go deeper into charging related questions via comments, email or by scheduling a zoom meeting, so feel free to leave comments on this post or contacting me via email at vancitytess@gmail.com.
References
BC Hydro. (2022). Residential rates. BC Hydro – Power smart. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from https://app.bchydro.com/accounts-billing/rates-energy-
use/electricity-rates/residential-rates.html
Park Ave BMW (2020). What Type of Gas Does My BMW Take? Park Ave BMW | BMW Car News and Research. Retrieved November 20, 2022, from
https://www.guideautoweb.com/en/makes/bmw/3-series/2011/specifications/4dr-sdn-323i-rwd/
Featured photo: Manthey, N. (2022). Tesla opens paid charging at (some) Destination Chargers. Electrive.com. From: https://www.electrive.com/2022/08/04/tesla-opens-paid-charging-at-some-destination-chargers/
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