How Much Does a Tesla Supercharger Cost? Prices per kWh, per Charge & per Mile (2026)
The short answer
In 2026, US Supercharger prices mostly fall between 25¢ and 55¢ per kWh, with a typical session landing around 35–45¢. That makes a 10–80% charge of a Model 3 (about 42 kWh) roughly $15–19, and a Model Y Long Range (about 52 kWh for the same 10–80%) roughly $18–23. Per mile, that is 9–12¢ — versus about 4¢ per mile at home on the national-average residential rate. Yes, Superchargers cost money: only a few early cars still carry free unlimited Supercharging.
How Supercharger pricing works
Tesla sets the price per site, and most sites now use time-of-day pricing: an off-peak rate (often overnight and mid-day) and a peak rate (typically late afternoon into evening, roughly 4–9pm) that can be 30–60% higher. The in-car navigation and the app show the exact rate for any site before you arrive, and prices change without notice.
A minority of locations — mostly older sites and some states where per-kWh resale by non-utilities is restricted — bill per minute instead, in tiers that depend on charging speed. Per-minute sites reward cars that charge fast and punish a cold or nearly full battery.
Tesla's home-state benchmark is California, where urban Superchargers commonly run 45–60¢/kWh at peak; the cheapest sites in the country (parts of the Southeast, Midwest and Texas overnight) dip toward 25–30¢.
Cost per full charge, by model
Multiply usable battery size by the price per kWh. At 40¢/kWh: Model 3 RWD (60 kWh) about $24; Model 3 Long Range / Model Y (75 kWh) about $30; Model S and X (100 kWh) about $40; Cybertruck (123 kWh) about $49. Real sessions are rarely 0–100%: a typical 10–80% road-trip stop costs 70% of those figures, and charging losses at DC are small (a few percent), so what the meter reads is close to what enters the pack.
The table below runs the numbers for every Tesla at three price tiers, and the model pages give home versus Supercharger cost for each car in every state.
| Tesla | Battery | Full @ 30¢ | Full @ 40¢ | Full @ 50¢ | 10–80% @ 40¢ | Per mile @ 40¢ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 (RWD) | 60 kWh | $18.00 | $24.00 | $30.00 | $16.80 | 9.5¢ |
| Tesla Model Y (Long Range) | 75 kWh | $22.50 | $30.00 | $37.50 | $21.00 | 10.3¢ |
| Tesla Model S | 100 kWh | $30.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 | $28.00 | 10.8¢ |
| Tesla Cybertruck (AWD) | 123 kWh | $36.90 | $49.20 | $61.50 | $34.44 | 16.0¢ |
| Tesla Model X | 100 kWh | $30.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 | $28.00 | 13.3¢ |
Cost per mile
Cost per mile = price per kWh ÷ miles per kWh. A Model 3 at 4.2 mi/kWh pays 9.5¢/mile at 40¢/kWh; a Model Y at 3.9 mi/kWh pays 10.3¢; a Cybertruck at 2.5 mi/kWh pays 16¢. For comparison, a 32-mpg gas car at $3.15/gallon is 9.8¢/mile — which is why relying on Superchargers for daily driving erases most of the EV fuel savings, while home charging at 4–5¢/mile keeps them.
Non-Tesla EVs at Superchargers
Ford, GM, Rivian, Hyundai, Kia, Volvo, Polestar and most other brands can now use open Supercharger sites (with a NACS port or an adapter). Non-Tesla drivers pay a higher per-kWh rate — commonly 10–20¢ above Tesla-owner pricing at the same stall — unless they buy the Supercharging membership at $12.99/month, which drops them to the Tesla rate. The membership pays for itself after roughly 100–130 kWh in a month, or about two full charges.
The fees people forget
Idle fees apply when a site is at least half full and your car stays plugged in after the charge completes: around 50¢ per minute, doubling to $1 per minute when the site is completely full. Congestion fees kick in at busy sites once the battery passes a set state of charge (often 80–90%), charging per minute while you keep topping up. The app warns you in both cases — moving the car promptly makes them zero.
Practical cost playbook: charge to 80% (the top 20% is slow and, at congested sites, fee-bearing); use off-peak windows on road trips; check the rate in the navigation before choosing between two nearby sites; and treat Superchargers as travel infrastructure rather than a home substitute — the 2–3× price gap versus home charging is structural, not a promotion.
Supercharger vs home vs other networks
Home Level 2 on the US-average residential rate (about 17¢/kWh) is the floor. Superchargers at 35–45¢ typically sit 2–3× above it, but still below most competing DC networks, where Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint sites commonly bill 48–64¢/kWh without a membership. On a per-mile basis, a Tesla Supercharger session usually costs about the same as gas; a home charge costs less than half of gas.
FAQ
Do Tesla Superchargers cost money?+
Yes. Almost every Tesla pays per kWh (or per minute at a few sites) to Supercharge. Free unlimited Supercharging survives only on some Model S and X cars sold before 2017, and promotional free-Supercharging credits expire. Prices are shown in the car's navigation and the app before you plug in.
How much does a Tesla Supercharger cost per kWh?+
Typically 25–55¢ per kWh in the US in 2026, depending on the site and time of day. Off-peak rates at cheaper sites approach 25–30¢; peak rates in California and other high-cost metros reach 50–60¢. A typical session lands around 35–45¢.
How much does it cost to fully charge a Tesla at a Supercharger?+
At 40¢/kWh: about $24 for a Model 3 RWD (60 kWh), $30 for a Model 3 Long Range or Model Y (75 kWh), $40 for a Model S or X (100 kWh) and $49 for a Cybertruck (123 kWh). A realistic 10–80% road-trip stop costs about 70% of those amounts.
How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model Y at a Supercharger?+
Roughly $18–23 for a 10–80% charge (about 52 kWh) at 35–45¢/kWh, or about $26–34 for a full 75 kWh charge. The same full charge at home on the US-average rate costs about $14.
How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model 3 at a Supercharger?+
About $15–19 for a 10–80% charge of a Model 3 RWD (42 kWh) at typical 35–45¢ rates, or $21–27 for a full 60 kWh. Per mile, that is 8.5–11¢.
What is the Supercharger cost per mile?+
Divide the price per kWh by the car's efficiency. At 40¢/kWh: Model 3 (4.2 mi/kWh) 9.5¢/mile, Model Y (3.9) 10.3¢, Model S (3.7) 10.8¢, Model X (3.0) 13.3¢, Cybertruck (2.5) 16¢. Home charging on the average residential rate is 4–7¢/mile for the same cars.
How much is a Supercharger in California?+
California sites are among the most expensive: commonly 40–50¢/kWh off-peak and 50–60¢ at peak in urban areas. A Model Y full charge can reach $40–45 at peak California pricing — still cheaper than gas per mile, but far above the ~$24 a California home charge costs at 31.8¢/kWh.
Do non-Tesla EVs pay more at Superchargers?+
Yes. Non-Tesla vehicles pay a higher per-kWh rate — often 10–20¢ more — unless the driver buys the $12.99/month Supercharging membership, which unlocks Tesla-owner pricing. Regular users of the network usually come out ahead with the membership after about two full charges a month.
What are Tesla idle fees?+
A per-minute charge (about 50¢/min, rising to $1/min when a site is completely full) that starts once your charge finishes and the car stays plugged in at a site that is at least half occupied. Congestion fees are a related per-minute charge above a certain state of charge at busy sites. Moving the car when the app notifies you avoids both.
Is Supercharging cheaper than gas?+
Roughly break-even per mile for most Teslas: a Model 3 or Y at 40¢/kWh costs about 10¢/mile, and a 32-mpg gas car at $3.15/gallon costs about 9.8¢/mile. The EV savings come from home charging, which runs 4–5¢/mile for the same cars — Supercharging is for trips, not the daily commute.
Is there a Supercharger cost calculator?+
Yes — each Tesla model page on this site estimates home versus DC fast-charging cost for every state, and the calculator on the home page accepts a custom ¢/kWh so you can enter the exact rate shown at your Supercharger.