Gas vs electric savings
What a Tesla saves on fuel and maintenance against the car you drive now, at your state's gas and electricity prices.
The two cars
Uses 24.4 kWh per 100 miles, the EPA rating measured at the wall.
1.5-liter turbo, all-wheel drive, 29 mpg. The common Model Y alternative.
Your driving
Sets local gas and electricity prices.
California average for regular: $6.39 (AAA, 2026-10-04).
Your charging
Most owners with a driveway do 80% or more of their charging at home. Without home charging, set this to 0%.
California averages $0.33/kWh. An EV time-of-use plan is often a third cheaper overnight.
Purchase price gap
Starts at the difference between the two cars' prices with destination. Set it to zero if you would spend the same either way.
Model Y Standard RWD $41,630minus CR-V $33,870equals $7,760
Method
How this is calculated
Gas per year is your miles divided by the car's fuel economy, times the gas price (premium-fuel cars pay $0.90 a gallon more). Charging per year runs the same miles on the trim's EPA energy use, split between home charging at your rate and Supercharging at the Supercharger price, with Supercharger energy adjusted for DC charging efficiency. Maintenance savings are the miles times the difference in AAA's per-mile cost of maintenance, repairs and tires. The 5, 10 and 15-year figures are the yearly savings multiplied out, without discounting; break-even divides the price gap by the yearly savings.
FAQ
Frequently asked
How much does a Tesla save on gas?
At national-average prices ($4.37 a gallon, $0.18 per kWh at home) and 12,000 miles a year with most charging at home, a Model 3 Standard spends about $649 a year on electricity where a Honda Accord spends $1,639 on gas: $990 saved. A Model Y Standard saves about $1,154 a year against a Honda CR-V, and a Cybertruck $1,464 against a Ford F-150. Your state's prices change this more than anything else, which is why the calculator starts from them.
Is Supercharging cheaper than gas?
Against most gas cars, yes, though by far less than charging at home. At $0.42 per kWh, a Model 3 Standard pays about 9.4¢ a mile at a Supercharger, 4.4¢ at home, against 13.7¢ for a 32 mpg Honda Accord. A 51 mpg Camry Hybrid, at 8.6¢ a mile, is cheaper to fuel than Supercharging. Off-peak Supercharger prices close much of that gap.
Do Teslas cost less to maintain?
Yes, by about a quarter in AAA's 2025 driving-cost study: 9.1¢ a mile for an electric sedan against 11.9¢ for a gas one, counting maintenance, repairs, tires and an extended warranty. There are no oil changes, and regenerative braking makes brake jobs rare; tires and the cabin air filter are the regular costs. That works out to about $342 a year at 12,000 miles for a Model 3 against an Accord.
Guides
Guides on cost and savings
Sources and assumptions
California: gas $6.39 (AAA, 2026-10-04), electricity $0.33/kWh (EIA, Jan–Jul 2026). Energy use and fuel economy: EPA. Maintenance, repairs and tires: AAA Your Driving Costs 2025, by vehicle class.
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