A full 0–100% charge of a Tesla takes about 79 to 140 kWh from the wall, depending on the model: roughly 79 kWh for a Model 3 or Model Y Standard, 89 kWh for the Premium trims, 108 kWh for a Model S or Model X, and 140 kWh for a Cybertruck. A typical 10–80% top-up is 55 to 98 kWh. These figures include about 12% charging losses, so they are what your electricity meter records, which is more than the battery stores.
This guide gives the kWh per charge for every current Tesla trim, the cost at US and state electricity prices, the CO₂ per charge, the kWh per mile and per month for a typical driver, and how many solar panels cover it.
How many kWh does it take to charge a Tesla?
Two things set the answer: the energy the battery holds (roughly 70 to 123 kWh usable) and the energy lost between the outlet and the battery.
Tesla does not officially publish battery capacity for most trims. The Cybertruck is the exception: its pack is listed with a maximum capacity of 123 kWh. For the other models, the capacities below are estimates from independent databases: EV Database (about 79 kWh usable for Model 3 and Model Y Premium and Performance, 95 kWh for Model S), EVKX (69.5 kWh usable for the US Standard pack) and Wikipedia (78.1 kWh for Model 3 Premium, a 100 kWh pack for Model S and X).
New to the units? See kW vs kWh.
The charging loss assumption
Some energy turns into heat in the charging cable, the onboard charger and the battery. Measured losses on Level 2 (240-volt) home charging usually fall between 10% and 15%. InsideEVs reports a 14% loss for a Model Y on a 240-volt charger based on EPA certification documents, and 9.7% for another EV on an 11 kW wall box.
This article assumes 12% of the energy drawn from the wall is lost, so 88% reaches the battery. The formula is: kWh from the wall = usable battery kWh ÷ 0.88. For a 10–80% charge, multiply by 0.70.
kWh to charge each Tesla model (2026 lineup)
EPA ratings are for model year 2026 as listed on California’s DriveClean site, which republishes the federal EPA fuel economy data. The kWh/100 mi column is calculated from the EPA combined MPGe: the EPA treats one gallon of gasoline as 33.7 kWh, so kWh/100 mi = 3,370.5 ÷ MPGe.
| Model and trim | Usable battery, kWh (estimate) | EPA combined MPGe | EPA kWh/100 mi | EPA range, miles | Wall kWh, 0–100% | Wall kWh, 10–80% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model 3 Standard RWD | 69.5 | 139 | 24.2 | 321 | 79 | 55 |
| Model 3 Premium RWD | 78 | 137 | 24.6 | 363 | 89 | 62 |
| Model 3 Premium AWD | 78 | 128 | 26.3 | 346 | 89 | 62 |
| Model 3 Performance | 78 | 111 | 30.4 | 314 | 89 | 62 |
| Model Y Standard RWD (18 in) | 69.5 | 138 | 24.4 | 321 | 79 | 55 |
| Model Y Premium RWD | 78 | 134 | 25.2 | 357 | 89 | 62 |
| Model Y Premium AWD | 78 | 123 | 27.4 | 327 | 89 | 62 |
| Model Y Performance | 79 | 105 | 32.1 | 306 | 90 | 63 |
| Model S | 95 | 124 | 27.2 | 410 | 108 | 76 |
| Model S Plaid | 95 | 110 | 30.6 | 368 | 108 | 76 |
| Model X | 95 | 105 | 32.1 | 352 | 108 | 76 |
| Model X Plaid | 95 | 100 | 33.7 | 335 | 108 | 76 |
| Cybertruck AWD | 123 | 79 | 42.7 | 325 | 140 | 98 |
The EPA lists the Model Y Premium trims under their older “Long Range” names. Wheel choice changes the rating: the Model Y Standard on 19-inch wheels is rated 131 MPGe instead of 138, and a Model S Plaid on 21-inch wheels drops from 368 to 309 miles.
How many kWh to charge a Tesla Model Y?
A Model Y Standard needs about 79 kWh from the wall for a full charge (69.5 ÷ 0.88). The Premium RWD and AWD need about 89 kWh (78 ÷ 0.88), and the Performance about 90 kWh. A 10–80% charge is 55 or 62 kWh.
How many kWh to charge a Tesla Model 3?
Expect about 79 kWh from the wall for the Standard and 89 kWh for the Premium RWD, Premium AWD and Performance. A 10–80% charge is 55 or 62 kWh.
A cross-check using EPA data
The EPA measures consumption at the wall outlet, with losses from the charging cable and onboard charger included. That means EPA range × EPA kWh/100 mi should land near the full-charge figure.
Model Y Premium AWD: 327 miles × 27.4 kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 = 89.6 kWh. The battery-based estimate above is 88.6 kWh. For the Model 3 Standard: 321 × 24.2 ÷ 100 = 77.7 kWh against 79.0 kWh. The two methods agree within about 2%. Performance and Plaid trims come out a few kWh higher on the EPA method.
How many kWh to charge an electric car in general?
Teslas sit at the efficient end of the market. The EPA’s Green Power Equivalency Calculator uses 36.7 kWh/100 miles as a conservative average for fully electric vehicles (model years 2000–2024, fueleconomy.gov data). Every Tesla car in the table beats that. Only the Cybertruck, at 42.7 kWh/100 mi, uses more.
For any EV the method is the same: usable battery kWh ÷ 0.88. A 60 kWh car needs about 68 kWh from the wall.
Is an EV cheaper and cleaner where you live? Compare an electric car with a gas car on cost and CO₂ using your own mileage and electricity price. Open the free EV vs Gas Calculator
Cost to charge a Tesla at home
Cost = kWh from the wall × your electricity price. The US average residential price was 18.31 cents per kWh in July 2026, according to the EIA Electric Power Monthly (Table 5.6.A, released September 2026).
Worked example for a Model Y Premium: 88.6 kWh × $0.1831 = $16.23 for a full charge. The table uses the unrounded wall figures (79.0, 88.6, 108.0 and 139.8 kWh).
| Location (July 2026, EIA) | Residential price per kWh | Model 3 / Y Standard (79 kWh) | Model 3 / Y Premium (89 kWh) | Model S / X (108 kWh) | Cybertruck (140 kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US average | 18.31¢ | $14.46 | $16.23 | $19.77 | $25.59 |
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | $10.05 | $11.27 | $13.73 | $17.78 |
| Washington | 14.71¢ | $11.62 | $13.04 | $15.88 | $20.56 |
| Florida | 15.03¢ | $11.87 | $13.32 | $16.23 | $21.01 |
| Texas | 15.88¢ | $12.54 | $14.08 | $17.14 | $22.20 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | $23.61 | $26.50 | $32.28 | $41.79 |
| California | 33.61¢ | $26.54 | $29.79 | $36.28 | $46.98 |
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | $37.91 | $42.55 | $51.82 | $67.09 |
The same charge costs almost four times as much in Hawaii as in Louisiana. See electricity cost by state for all 50 states.
kWh per mile and per month for a typical driver
Per mile, a Tesla uses 0.24 to 0.34 kWh from the wall (24.2 to 33.7 kWh/100 mi), and the Cybertruck about 0.43 kWh.
The Federal Highway Administration’s widely used figure is 13,476 miles per driver per year, which is 1,123 miles a month. For a Model Y Premium AWD:
- Per month: 1,123 miles × 27.4 kWh/100 mi ÷ 100 = 308 kWh
- Per year: 13,476 × 27.4 ÷ 100 = 3,692 kWh
- Monthly cost at the US average: 308 kWh × $0.1831 = $56
A Model 3 Standard comes to 272 kWh a month ($50), and a Cybertruck AWD to 480 kWh ($88). FHWA’s newer per-vehicle statistic is lower, at 10,787 miles per light-duty vehicle in 2024 (Highway Statistics, Table VM-1). At that mileage a Model Y Premium AWD uses 246 kWh a month.
Compare that with how many kWh a house uses.
kWh shown in the car vs kWh billed
The car’s trip display counts energy leaving the battery. Your utility bills energy entering the charger. The gap is the charging loss, plus anything the car uses while parked, such as cabin preconditioning.
With a 12% loss, a Model Y Premium AWD that is rated at 27.4 kWh/100 mi at the wall delivers about 27.4 × 0.88 = 24.1 kWh/100 mi from the battery, or 241 Wh per mile. If the screen says you used 50 kWh, expect about 50 ÷ 0.88 = 57 kWh on the bill.
Losses are not fixed. A 2014 study by Sears and colleagues found Level 2 charging about 3% more efficient than Level 1 (120-volt) on average, and 13% more efficient on very short charges.
CO₂ per charge
A Tesla has no tailpipe, but the electricity has a footprint. The US average output emission rate was 770.9 lb CO₂e per MWh in 2023, per EPA eGRID. Converted: 770.9 × 0.4536 ÷ 1,000 = 0.350 kg CO₂e per kWh.
- Model 3 / Y Standard, full charge: 79.0 kWh × 0.350 = 27.6 kg CO₂e
- Model 3 / Y Premium: 88.6 × 0.350 = 31.0 kg CO₂e
- Model S / X: 108.0 × 0.350 = 37.8 kg CO₂e
- Cybertruck: 139.8 × 0.350 = 48.9 kg CO₂e
Per mile, a Model Y Premium AWD emits 0.274 kWh × 0.350 = 0.096 kg, or 96 grams of CO₂e. Over 13,476 miles that is about 1.29 metric tons a year. Grid line losses are not included.
Use the kWh to CO₂ calculator to run your own number.
How many solar panels to charge a Tesla?
The EPA’s equivalency calculator, using NREL’s PVWatts model for Kansas City as an average US solar site, gets 1,455,726 kWh a year from a 1,017.14 kW array. That is 1,431 kWh per kW per year. A 400-watt panel therefore produces about 0.4 × 1,431 = 572 kWh a year.
- Model 3 Standard: 3,268 kWh per year ÷ 572 = 5.7, so 6 panels
- Model Y Premium AWD: 3,692 ÷ 572 = 6.5, so 7 panels
- Cybertruck AWD: 5,749 ÷ 572 = 10.1, so 11 panels
These counts cover a year of driving at 13,476 miles. The solar savings calculator estimates production and payback for your location.
Frequently asked questions
How many kWh does a Tesla use per mile?
Between 0.24 and 0.34 kWh per mile from the wall for the cars, based on 2026 EPA combined ratings, and about 0.43 kWh for the Cybertruck. The most efficient trim is the Model 3 Standard at 24.2 kWh/100 mi.
How much does it cost to fully charge a Tesla?
At the US average residential price of 18.31 cents per kWh (July 2026, EIA), about $14 for a Standard trim, $16 for a Premium trim, $20 for a Model S or X and $26 for a Cybertruck.
How many kWh does a Tesla use per month?
A driver covering 13,476 miles a year uses about 270 to 380 kWh a month in a Tesla car, and roughly 480 kWh in a Cybertruck.
Is the battery size the same as the kWh I pay for?
No. You pay for the energy drawn from the wall, which is roughly 12% more than the energy that ends up in the battery on Level 2 charging.
Sources
- California Air Resources Board, DriveClean: 2026 Tesla EPA MPGe and range
- EPA: Fuel Economy and EV Range Testing
- EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data)
- EPA eGRID summary data (2023)
- FHWA: Average Annual Miles per Driver by Age Group
- EPA Green Power Equivalency Calculator: calculations and references
- EV Database: usable battery capacity estimates
About the author
Georgi Todorov is an eco activist and entrepreneur. He runs Ecoki, where he builds free tools and guides that help small businesses measure and cut their carbon footprint.