Tesla Model Y Charging Estimate Hits CA$351 Versus CA$3,274 for Gas

A Toronto-focused calculation puts the annual home-charging cost of a 2026 Tesla Model Y Standard at about CA$351 for 20,000 kilometers. The same distance in an example gasoline SUV would cost approximately CA$3,274 an estimated difference of CA$2,923 a year.

The comparison, prepared by The Electric Standard using prices from October 12, 2026, is a driving-energy calculation rather than a complete cost-of-ownership study. It excludes purchase prices and does not account for financing, insurance, depreciation, maintenance or the cost of installing a suitable home circuit. Its value lies in showing which operating assumptions produce such a large gap and where that advantage can narrow.

The per-kilometer figures drive the result

The Model Y was assigned an electricity cost of approximately CA$1.76 per 100 kilometers. Multiplying that figure by 200 the number of 100-kilometer segments in 20,000 kilometers produces an annual result of about CA$352, effectively matching the stated CA$351 estimate after rounding.

For gasoline, the example uses an SUV consuming roughly 9 liters per 100 kilometers and a Greater Toronto Area regular-gas price of CA$1.82 per liter, attributed to CityNews and En-Pro. The resulting estimate is about CA$16.37 per 100 kilometers. Over 20,000 kilometers, that becomes CA$3,274, or approximately CA$63 a week and CA$273 a month.

The comparison therefore places the gasoline SUV’s energy expense at more than nine times the Model Y estimate. That ratio is specific to the selected vehicles and prices. A more efficient gasoline vehicle would reduce the gap, while a less efficient one would increase it. Annual distance scales both totals: driving half as far would roughly halve the calculated energy spending and savings.

Home charging is the central condition

The charging example describes a 240-volt, 16-amp setup operating from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. It was estimated to add about 46 kilowatt-hours for approximately CA$7.50, providing enough energy for “roughly 427 km of real driving.” The Electric Standard also estimated that a CA$180 home charger “paid for itself in about 1,200 km” through the difference in energy costs.

Those figures depend on the electricity price applied to the charging session. Ontario customers can select among time-of-use, tiered and ultra-low overnight plans. Under Ontario Energy Board prices effective November 1, 2026, standard off-peak electricity costs 9.1 cents per kilowatt-hour, while the ultra-low overnight rate is 3.7 cents from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

The timing boundary is important. A charging window beginning at 7 p.m. does not fall entirely within the ultra-low period. On weekdays under that plan, electricity from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. costs 37.7 cents per kilowatt-hour, followed by a 14.6-cent rate until 11 p.m. Automated charging scheduled after 11 p.m. is therefore materially different from plugging in and immediately drawing power at 7 p.m. The household’s complete bill can also include effects beyond the advertised energy rate, so a driver’s utility bill remains the better input for a personal calculation.

Public charging changes the economics

The CA$351 result assumes favorable home charging, not routine use of commercial fast chargers. That distinction separates drivers with a driveway or dedicated parking space from apartment residents and others who depend on public infrastructure.

In CAA’s 2026 EV Circuit, fast charging across 22 tested electric vehicles averaged CA$13.50 per 100 kilometers. That remains below the comparison’s CA$16.37 gasoline figure, but it is far above the Model Y’s estimated CA$1.76 home-energy cost. Frequent fast charging can therefore erase much of the headline advantage even when it does not eliminate it.

Winter adds another variable. Cabin heating, battery conditioning and cold-weather efficiency losses can increase electricity consumption per kilometer, requiring more purchased energy for the same annual distance. The Electric Standard acknowledged that winter range loss, mileage and electricity plans can change the outcome.

For a driver who can schedule most charging at home under a favorable overnight rate, the calculation shows why electric energy costs can be dramatically lower than fuel spending for a 9-liter-per-100-kilometer SUV. For someone reliant on fast charging or paying higher rates during expensive evening periods the CA$351 figure is not the appropriate benchmark. The most consequential hardware in this comparison is ultimately not inside the Model Y, but at the parking space where it spends the night.

By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.