Tesla Ownership Cost Hub 2026

Tesla at a glance

Our dataset covers 5 Tesla models spanning Sedan, SUV, Truck body styles. The lineup starts at about $39,000 and reaches roughly $100,000 at the top trim, with an average starting price near $63,800. 5 of them are battery-electric, and 0 more are hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

What a Tesla costs, cheapest to priciest

Sticker price is only the starting point, but it sets the floor for sales tax, insurance, and depreciation. The Model 3 is the most affordable entry point at about $39,000, while the Model X tops the range at roughly $100,000 in its highest trim.

Most fuel-efficient Tesla models

Running costs are a large part of ownership, and efficiency varies widely within a single brand. Based on EPA figures in our dataset, the most efficient Tesla models are:

• Model 3 — 132 MPGe (electric) · most efficient in the lineup
• Model Y — 129 MPGe (electric)
• Model S — 120 MPGe (electric)
• Model X — 102 MPGe (electric)
• Cybertruck — 79 MPGe (electric)

How to compare Tesla models on total cost

Two Tesla models with similar sticker prices can differ by thousands of dollars over five years once you add fuel or electricity, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation. Use the cost-of-ownership calculator on any model page to see a pre-filled five-year total based on real EPA efficiency and segment-average depreciation. Depreciation is usually the largest single ownership cost, so compare projected resale value, not just the purchase price.

You can also model financing directly with our Auto Loan Calculator and compare running costs across brands on the full vehicle directory.

What a Tesla costs to own over five years

Sticker price and ownership cost are different numbers. Running our standard ownership model over 3 representative Tesla models — the cheapest in the lineup, a mid-range pick, and the most expensive — gives a five-year net cost between $56,585 and $94,222, or roughly $11,317 to $18,844 a year. Net cost means everything you pay out — down payment, loan payments, fuel or electricity, insurance, maintenance and registration — minus the vehicle's projected value at the end of year five.

Assumptions: 12,000 miles a year, 20% down, a 5-year loan at 6.39% APR, 7% sales tax and $150 registration (national baselines), gasoline at $4.06 a gallon (AAA) and electricity at $0.16 a kWh (EIA), plus segment-average insurance, maintenance and depreciation. The projection also uses segment-average depreciation curves, so it is an estimate for a typical Tesla in that class rather than a forecast for one specific car. Every input is editable on the model pages and in our total cost of ownership calculator.

Depreciation is normally the largest single line. On the Model 3, the model above projects roughly $29,610 of value lost over five years — about 63% of its $47,000 price — which is why a low sticker price and a low ownership cost are not the same thing.

How Tesla compares across our 32-brand dataset

Price position is easier to judge against the whole market than in isolation. Across the 32 brands and 300 models in our dataset, Tesla ranks 15th on entry price at $39,000 for the Model 3, and 8th on top-trim price at $100,000 for the Model X. Ranks are counted from the cheapest end (1st = lowest entry price; ties share a rank) and the median entry price across the dataset is $38,000.

Efficiency sets the floor under running costs. The most efficient Tesla in our dataset is the Model 3 at 132 MPGe combined, which ranks 11st of 56 battery-electric models (MPGe is a separate scale from MPG). Note that MPGe and MPG use different scales, so electric models are ranked only against other electric models.

5 of the 5 Tesla models in our dataset are battery-electric (100%), against 56 of 300 models (19%) across the whole dataset.

Browse every marque on the brand directory or compare individual models side by side on the full vehicle directory.

Frequently asked questions about Tesla ownership costs