Whether you’re a new Tesla owner, or you’ve been driving a Tesla for a while now, you’re likely becoming very familiar with the abbreviation “kWh” or “kilo-watt hour”. Simply put, kWh is a measure of energy, so when talking about Tesla, kWh is referring to how big the battery is.
What most people don’t know is that Tesla vehicles have different battery sizes, as low as 50kWh all the way up to 100kWh. The bigger the battery, the longer the range on a single charge. So, how many kWh does it take to charge a Tesla? Let’s break it down by each Tesla model:
Tesla Model S
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive – 100kWh
- Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive (Plaid) – 100kWh
Tesla Model 3
- Rear-Wheel Drive – 50kWh
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Long Range) – 82kWh
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Performance) – 82kWh
Tesla Model X
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive – 100kWh
- Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive (Plaid) – 100kWh
Tesla Model Y
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Long Range) – 82kWh
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Performance) – 82kWh
Keep in mind, these kWh numbers are the full vehicle battery capacity. It’s very rare that you’ll be charging your Tesla’s battery from 0% empty to 100% full, but it’s good to know the full battery capacity anyways.
How Much Does It Cost To Charge A Tesla?
Charging at home will cost about $0.14 per kWh on average (this may change depending on your state)
Charging at a Supercharger will cost about $0.25 per kWh on average (this may change depending on your state, and time of day you are charging)
Tesla Model S
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive – $14 at home / $25 at Supercharger
- Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive (Plaid) – $14 at home / $25 at Supercharger
Tesla Model 3
- Rear-Wheel Drive – $7 at home / $12.5 at Supercharger
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Long Range) – $11.48 at home / $20.5 at Supercharger
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Performance) – $11.48 at home / $20.5 at Supercharger
Tesla Model X
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive – $14 at home / $25 at Supercharger
- Tri Motor All-Wheel Drive (Plaid) – $14 at home / $25 at Supercharger
Tesla Model Y
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Long Range) – $11.48 at home / $20.5 at Supercharger
- Dual Motor All-Wheel Drive (Performance) – $11.48 at home / $20.5 at Supercharger
Apart from free charging stations at work or public use, the cheapest way to charge a Tesla is at home, averaging $0.14 per kWh, and the most expensive way to charge a Tesla is at a Supercharger, averaging $0.25 per kWh.
Here’s a calculator to find out how much money you’d save by charging a Tesla at home, compared to buying gasoline: