Tesla Model S new, $79,500
Loaded Camry $34,900
Over loan term of 5 years, $743/mo more for the Tesla
My Tesla model 3LR is $230 per month. It goes 375 miles and will take a 250kw supercharger rate. If I had to pay for retail power it would be 8 cents per kWh. Mine runs off solar panels long paid off and turning profit now so my true cost is the cost of power not sold. I digress, even at 8 cents going 100 miles in the city and mixed urban use would use one avg 180 watt hours per mile so 18kWh. I L2 charge it at home so if I had to pay 8 cents per kWh and taking into account the 10% plug to pack losses that’s 20 kWh of electrons from the grid would cost me $1.60 retail. And over 31 days is $49 per month.
It’s obvious they used supercharger rates for this comparison if they used retail him power rates a model S needs 250 watt hours per mile so 25kWh from the pack and 27.7 from the grid @ $0.08 = $2.22 for 100 miles and X31 is $68.88 per month when charged at home.
Virtually no one drives 100 miles PER DAY 31 days in a row that is a straw man argument. The average FIVE day commute is under 40 miles round trip per day. 96% of all trips in the USA are under 30 miles per the NTHSA that figure is easily found via Gemini AI.
My Tesla model 3 is five to ten times cheaper than the S60 Volvo it replaces in energy costs, has virtually zero maintenance, no more $800 spark plugs $1200 timing belts, or $120 synthetic oil changes either. Plus from mile one the payment is HALF per month what Volvo was. Both being five passenger sedans, both riding on identical P4 Pirelli tires same 19” rim sizes and both within one inch of each other in length and width aka footprint. The Volvo was 200lb heavier being a T6 AWD.
I managed to take a maxed out Camry AWD hybrid to $42,699. Still a huge delta.
For a long time I thought Teslas were toys for rich people, they say they’re a lot of fun to drive and some are very fast.
Then I learned some people have them as their only car which doesn’t make that much sense.
OK, I just configured a maxed out Toyota Crown hybrid at $57,100. This is the new large sedan that has replaced the Toyota Avalon, bigger/nicer than a Camry. Still a big delta.
Good point.
Any analysis of this type needs to take an honest accounting of all costs including residual values.