2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD, CA Charging Cost

2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD: home charging cost in California

At California's residential electricity rate of 33.17¢/kWh, a 2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD (rated 26.4 kWh per 100 miles by the EPA) costs $8.75 to drive 100 miles on home charging, against $16.02 for the same distance in a car averaging 25.5 mpg on gasoline at $4.085/gallon. Charging at home is much cheaper than gas here: 45.4% less than gas per mile, here specifically.

2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD: yearly cost in California

Driving 15,000 miles a year, fueleconomy.gov's own default assumption, a 2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD charged at home in California costs about $1,312/year in electricity, against about $2,403/year for the gas-car comparison. That's a savings of about $1,091 a year.

Cost of a full charge

A 2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD needs roughly 91.3 kWh to reach its EPA-rated 346-mile range, which runs about $30.27 at 33.17¢/kWh in California.

How this compares nationally

This combination ranks 16,076 of 20,400 state/model pairs for cost savings against gas (1 is cheapest). The Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD alone ranks 12 of 400 models for efficiency; California alone ranks 50 of 51 states for electricity price.

Next step: home charger installation

The numbers above assume Level 2 home charging is already in place, the electrical work behind that is a real, separate cost that varies by panel, wiring, and local labor rates, not something this page's per-mile math includes.

Ask a licensed California electrician to quote the install before this math becomes a real decision.

Where these figures come from

See the methodology guide for exactly which EIA and EPA figures feed 2026 Tesla Model 3 Premium AWD's cost in California. California has some of the highest residential electricity rates in the country, see the guide to why the cost varies so much by state for the full picture.