EV Fuel Cost Per Mile Explained
Is an electric vehicle (EV) like a Tesla cheaper than a traditional gas-powered car?
Understanding the cost of driving per mile requires some data crunching. Whether you're considering the leap to an EV or just curious about how your current car stacks up, the key figures you need are:
Total miles driven
Fuel consumption (miles per gallon for gas cars or watts per mile for EVs)
Cost of fuel (per gallon or per kWh)
Armed with my Tesla's data and my trusty Prius for comparison, I hit the roads to bring you some real-world numbers.
The Experiment: Tesla Model Y vs. Toyota Prius
On a recent trip, both my Tesla and Prius covered 361 miles. The Prius, known for its fuel efficiency, delivered a stellar 62 miles per gallon. On the other hand, Tesla consumes about 270 Wh/mile.
Here's where it gets interesting.
Charging the Tesla at a Supercharger cost me $18.72 for 48 kWh at $0.39 per kWh while topping up the remaining 49.47 kWh at home cost only $6.93 at $0.14 per kWh. This brings the total charging cost to $25.65.
The Prius? It guzzled 5.82 gallons at $3.25 per gallon, totaling $18.92.
The Results: Surprising Insights
Calculating the cost per mile gave me 5 cents/mile for the Prius and 7 cents/mile for the Tesla when utilizing the Supercharger. However, charging the Tesla exclusively at home drops the cost to 4 cents/mile!
What About Other Gas Cars?
To put it all into perspective, I compared the results with a Toyota Camry and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Assuming the Camry gets 40 mpg and the Jeep 25 mpg, the cost per mile significantly increases, especially for the Jeep. The Camry total costs were $29.33 and the Jeep was $46.93. That means the Camry costs about $10 per day more than the Prius and the Jeep was almost $30 per day more. Put another way, a full-time driver of the Prius saves $7,000 more per year in fuel alone compared to a Jeep, and that’s if the price of gas is $3.25 per gallon.
Your Decision: EV or Gas?
Whether an EV like a Tesla makes financial sense over a gas-powered vehicle isn't just about the fuel cost per mile. It's about driving habits, charging station access, and environmental considerations.