How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model Y in California?

California's 12-month average rate, 32.3¢/kWh, is 79% above the U.S. average of 18.0¢/kWh, so the Tesla Model Y costs $3.93 more per 100 miles here than at the national rate.

Rates in California are rising: the latest 12-month average is 3.7% higher than in the 12 months before.

In the last 24 months both the cheapest and the most expensive month fell in spring, so the swing reflects price changes rather than a seasonal pattern: April 2025 at 27.8¢/kWh and April 2026 at 35.3¢/kWh, which moves the Tesla Model Y's monthly charging cost between $78 and $99. The latest published month, August 2026, came in at 29.8¢/kWh, 8% below the 12-month average.

Of the 5 states covered so far, California is the most expensive place to charge the Tesla Model Y; in Washington it costs $3.90 per 100 miles.

Among the 10 EVs on OutletBill, the Tesla Model Y is the 2nd cheapest to charge per mile in California. The cheapest is the Tesla Model 3 at $7.86 per 100 miles; the most expensive is the Rivian R1S at $13.86.

Of the 5 small SUVs on OutletBill, the Tesla Model Y is the cheapest to charge in California, $0.49 per 100 miles less than the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

At 27.5 kWh per 100 miles, the 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD is among the most efficient EVs EPA has rated for 2026: it uses less energy than 93% of the 321 2026 EV versions tested.

The 2026 Model Y Long Range AWD uses 5% less energy than the 2025 version (27.5 vs 28.8 kWh per 100 miles) and has more range (327 vs 311 miles): $51 a year less to charge in California.

Across all 6 trims of the 2026 Model Y, cost per 100 miles in California ranges from $7.87 for the Standard RWD (18-in wheels) to $10.34 for the Performance AWD, a difference of $301 a year at 1,016 miles a month.

EPA estimates 8 hours to charge the Model Y Long Range AWD from empty on a 240-volt Level 2 home charger, short enough to finish overnight. At 1,016 miles a month (about 33 miles a day), a day's driving takes roughly 50 minutes on a Level 2 charger.

Electricity would have to cost more than 61.2¢/kWh, 1.9 times California's rate, before the Tesla Model Y cost more per mile than the 2027 Honda CR-V FWD. Put the other way, gas would have to fall below $2.67 a gallon.

Gas costs use EIA's California retail average for regular gasoline ($5.05 a gallon over the same 12 months, 40% above the U.S. average of $3.61) and the 2027 Honda CR-V FWD's EPA rating of 30 mpg combined.