Six-Year-Old Tesla Model 3 Ownership Costs: $375 To Drive 16,000 Miles

Six-Year-Old Tesla Model 3 Ownership Costs: $375 To Drive 16,000 Miles That’s just over 2 cents per mile, which is crazy low. Try matching that with a gas sedan. 2018 Tesla Model 3 Long Range owner details how much it cost to run the EV for the past year.

The car has 132,000 miles and recently needed a new 12-volt battery. Everybody who knows anything about electric vehicles knows that they can be much, much cheaper to run than comparable internal combustion cars . This, coupled with the fact that you can charge at home–just like a smartphone–and have the car topped up every time you leave for a trip, is one of the biggest selling points for EVs.



But just how cheap can it get to drive one if you have a home charger? The video embedded at the top of this page, from CallasEV , has the answer to that question–and more. The six-minute clip analyzes the ownership costs for two Tesla models, but I’ll only focus on the oldest of the pair, a 2018 Model 3 Long Range that has a little over 132,000 miles on the odometer. Between September 2023 and August 2024–that’s a total of 12 months–the car was driven 16,000 miles.

The total cost to charge the car was just $375, which comes out to $0.023 per mile or $2.3 per 100 miles.

That’s four times less than an equivalent gas-powered BMW 3 Series with a 3.0-liter engine would need–according to the EPA, the German sedan needs 3.4 gallons of fuel per 100 miles and the average gas price in the U.

S. is $3.2.

It’s worth noting that 79% of charging was done at home, according to the app screenshot, while 5% was done at Tesla Superchargers which are usually more expensive than topping up at home. As for repairs and maintenance, this particular Model 3 had to have its windshield replaced. That cost nearly $1,400 at a Tesla service center , but it was covered under insurance, so there was no extra cost for the owner.

The 12-volt battery also needed to be replaced for $139 which was paid out of pocket, as well as the two cabin air filters which cost $17 each. In total, $173.19 in maintenance and repairs in the previous year.

When it comes to insurance, quotes can vary wildly depending on the company . The video doesn’t say how much it costs to insure the 2018 Tesla Model 3, but it does mention that for a 2019 Model 3, it’s $190 per month for full coverage..