There’s lots of great reasons to go electric, including potentially saving a significant amount of money by not using fuel. In many cases, charging a car is far cheaper per mile than filling up at a gas station. But is that what the hard numbers show? Let’s find out the different in cost between charging a Tesla and fueling a Ford Explorer.
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What Is the General Consensus?
Teslas in particular tend to be quite efficient. Many models get well over the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy data.
Granted, that doesn’t always translate into lower costs, as it depends on the price of gas vs. the price of electricity. Some charging stations, for example, might charge much higher rates than what you could charge at home for. However, the vast majority of electric vehicle (EV) owners do their charging at home, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which helps keeps costs down.
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Still, even at a Tesla supercharger station, many owners report filling up for less than what a tank of gas costs. Much depends on factors like location and demand, but many Reddit users, for example, report filling up for roughly $20 to $30.
So, in most cases, that means charging a Tesla brings monthly savings, especially when compared to traditional car models that aren’t all that fuel efficient, like a Ford Explorer. The most efficient 2025 model gets 24 miles per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy data. That can result in Tesla charges costing nearly $100 less per month for an average driver.
Cost Breakdown of Charging a Tesla vs. Ford Explorer
On average, a U.S. driver logs 13,476 miles per year, according to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). That equates to roughly 37 miles per day or 1,123 miles per month.
Based on that usage, a Tesla Model S costs approximately $54 per month on average to charge solely at home, according to data from Tesla and the U.S. Energy Information Association (EIA).
For a Tesla Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive, the monthly charging cost is even lower at around $49. A Tesla Model X Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive is a bit more expensive at about $64 per month and a Tesla Model Y Long Range All-Wheel Drive costs about $54 per month to charge at home.
In comparison, a Ford explorer driving that many miles per month uses nearly 47 gallons based on that 24 mpg average and note that other Explorer models get even less per gallon.
So, based on the national average gas price of $3.192 per gallon, according to the EIA, that means it costs about $149 per month to fuel up a Ford Explorer.
Tesla Takes the Win
Over the course of a year, that means that fueling up a Tesla costs in the ballpark of $663 per year based on an average of the aforementioned models, while a Ford Explorer costs around $1,788.
Altogether, a Ford Explorer costs about $1,125 more per year to fuel up and the differences could be even starker if you drive more than the average person, use a less efficient Ford Explorer model or in some locations gas prices are much higher in relation to residential electricity rates.
There’s a lot of costs to consider when determining the full cost of car ownership, but taking fuel economy into account is one way that often makes EVs like Teslas more affordable than they might seem at first glance.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Here’s What It Costs To Charge a Tesla Monthly vs. Using Gas for a Ford Explorer
