Tesla is rated 114.1 MPGe across 5 models (2012–2026) — 29.5 kWh per 100 miles, or about $602 a year at the plug. The best on record manages 142 MPGe, the heaviest drinker 79. Gas mileage is the wrong question here: none of these cars takes petrol.
What that actually costs
What a Tesla costs to charge, at 12,000 miles a year and $0.17 a kilowatt-hour — the pump price never enters into it.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average rating | 114.1 MPGe |
| Energy use | 29.5 kWh per 100 miles |
| Charging per year | $602 |
| Most efficient on record | 142 MPGe — $483 a year |
| Heaviest drinker | 79 MPGe — $871 a year |
Tesla models by MPGe
Every Tesla is rated in MPGe — the distance it covers on 33.7 kWh, the energy in one gallon of petrol. The bill below is electricity at $0.17 a kWh, not fuel at the pump.
| Model | MPGe | kWh / 100 mi | Charging per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | 25 | $510 | |
| Tesla Model Y | 26.7 | $545 | |
| Tesla Model S | 30.7 | $626 | |
| Tesla Model X | 33.9 | $692 | |
| Tesla Cybertruck | 41.9 | $855 |
MPG is a number. Dollars per year is the answer.
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How we count
Tesla rests on 45 EPA ratings covering 5 models from 2012 to 2026, plus 5 electric ones counted separately in MPGe. The laboratory numbers are EPA's and go in unchanged; the money is ours, at 12,000 miles a year and $0.17 a kilowatt-hour. Full method.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average Tesla rating?
114.1 MPGe combined across 5 models and 45 EPA ratings, from 2012 to 2026 — 14 model years in one figure, which is why it sits below what a new Tesla does today.
Which Tesla model is the most economical?
We don't have a per-model breakdown for this marque.
How much does a Tesla cost to run?
About $602 a year to charge, at 12,000 miles and $0.17 a kilowatt-hour. Over five years that is $3,010, before a single service.
What is Tesla's MPGe, and why not mpg?
114.1 MPGe on average. MPGe measures how far the car goes on 33.7 kWh — the energy held in one gallon of petrol — because Tesla builds nothing that burns any. In electricity that is 29.5 kWh per 100 miles, about $602 a year.
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