Tesla driver who drove almost 20,000 miles reveals the ridiculous amount they've saved on gas

It has been widely argued that EVs offer better value for money along with lower environmental impact in the long run. Several factors such as maintenance, repairs, and fuel costs make the difference when it comes to electric car ownership. The claims have also been corroborated by American motorists who are now gravitating towards EVs. A Redditor u/thedarkavengerx/ highlighted the difference using data to show how their Tesla fared against their gas-powered SUV in terms of yearly costs. 

How Cheap are Teslas?

In the post shared on the subreddit r/TeslaLounge, the Redditor shared a screenshot that shows the calculations. The tool used by the Redditor calculated the cost of charging a Tesla for the last 20,000 miles for the driver. This was then compared to the total cost of fuel for covering the same distance in a gas-powered SUV. Tesla was the winner with the cost of charging it coming down to $309.75 compared to a whopping $2,774.90 spent for fuel in the SUV.

Several users in the comments did agree with the post, confirming that EV and hybrid car drivers save more money. "Anyone who switches from an ICE or hybrid (like a Prius) to an EV would be saving $$ automatically because the cost of ownership is less in general (install home charger and charge at home, no ICE maintenance, minimal maintenance cost, no new brakes shoes/pads due to regenerative braking, etc, etc)," u/Happy_Razzmatazz2420 commented. 

However, some users in the comments pointed out that the savings do come with a catch. A user u/Substantial-Ad-8575/ asked important questions regarding the elevated sticker price of the car, higher insurance cost per year, higher registration fee, cost of a Tesla charger, and the high costs of electricity, all of which raise questions about the Redditor's claims.

A similar revelation X (formerly Twitter) user @Tesla_GTownTX revealed astonishingly low costs of charging a Tesla. Posting a screenshot, the user claimed that the cost of charging their car for a year came out to be just $2.37.

While this was more than enough to make gas-fueled vehicle owners rethink their life decisions, several users pointed out that only half-cooked facts were being shared. Some sharp users pointed out that the EV owner used a Tesla Powerwall to charge his car.

The Powerwall is essentially a massive battery that is paired with solar panels and looped into the home's power supply. According to a MarketWatch report, the latest Tesla Powerwall 3 has an official installation price of $15,300 before taxes and incentives. Third-party installers can charge customers up to a whopping $20,000. Furthermore, repairing a Powerwall or replacing a Powerwall battery can put people in financial trouble as well. According to the report, only the charger is covered under warranty and it costs about $9,300 per unit to replace the battery. 

However, it is worth noting that Tesla does offer free use of its Superchargers to new buyers for a limited time. Furthermore, the savings over the years, (if the owners don't encounter an issue) can outweigh the upfront costs of the EVs and the charging systems.