Electric vehicles
Cost to charge a Tesla Model 3 RWD at home in the UK (Oct–Dec 2026)
Last checked: 15 October 2026 · PlugLater
8,000 miles a year · 4.59 mi/kWh · 1,743 kWh
Off-peak 7.6p
£132 a year
1.7p a mile
Price cap 26.32p
£459 a year
5.7p a mile
Rapid 75p (illustration)
£1,307 a year
16.3p a mile
Unit cost only, every mile charged at that one rate. Standing charge and charging losses are not included. These match the Tesla Model 3 RWD row in EV charging costs by car.
The Model 3 RWD is the most efficient car in the site’s 142-car table, at 218 Wh a mile, so it is the cheapest car there to run per mile. That figure is EV-Database’s own measurement-based value, not one it marks as an estimate.
The car these figures are for
EV-Database lists this as the Tesla Model 3 RWD (Highland), on sale in this form since January 2026. Its 60.0 kWh usable battery is an EV-Database estimate, so the per-charge costs below are estimates too. It replaced an earlier Highland RWD that was on sale from May 2025 to December 2025, which EV-Database describes as similar in energy use. The Premium RWD, Premium AWD and Performance versions are shown below.
- Consumption: 218 Wh a mile, EV-Database’s real-range figure for moderate driving and climate. That is 1,000 ÷ 218 = 4.59 miles per kWh.
- Usable battery: 60.0 kWh (an EV-Database estimate).
- On-board AC charger: 11 kW, so a 7.4 kW single-phase home charger runs at its full 7.4 kW. EV-Database gives 0–100% at 7.4 kW as about 9h45m, and from a 3-pin plug at 2.3 kW as about 30h45m.
Source: EV-Database, Tesla Model 3 RWD, checked 15 October 2026.
Worked example: a year at 8,000 miles
8,000 miles is the homepage calculator’s starting mileage. Energy for the year is miles ÷ miles per kWh, and cost is energy × the unit rate.
- 8,000 ÷ 4.59 = 1,743 kWh.
- At 7.6p: 1,743 × £0.076 = £132.
- At 26.32p: 1,743 × £0.2632 = £459.
- At 75p: 1,743 × £0.75 = £1,307.
- Off-peak against the cap: £459 − £132 = £327 less in unit cost, because 7.6p is 71% below 26.32p (1 − 7.6 ÷ 26.32 = 0.71).
That off-peak figure assumes every home kWh goes in between 23:30 and 05:30. Intelligent Octopus Go’s day rate is a quote for your address and is not the 26.32p cap, so use your own day rate for any charging outside the window.
Cost of one charge
| Charge | Energy | 7.6p | 26.32p | 75p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10–80% top-up | 42.0 kWh | £3.19 | £11.05 | £31.50 |
| 0–100% (full usable battery) | 60.0 kWh | £4.56 | £15.79 | £45.00 |
| One 6-hour window at 7.4 kW | 44.4 kWh | £3.37 | £11.69 | – |
| One 6-hour window at 2.3 kW (3-pin) | 13.8 kWh | £1.05 | £3.63 | – |
A 10–80% top-up is 42.0 kWh: 70% of 60.0 kWh. At 7.4 kW that takes about 5.7 hours, so it fits inside one 23:30–05:30 window, and adds about 193 miles at 4.59 mi/kWh.
The 3-pin row is a granny lead at 10 A. It adds 13.8 kWh in the same six hours, about 63 miles. See granny charger vs wallbox for whether that covers your week.
Yearly cost at different mileages
| Miles a year | Energy | 7.6p | 26.32p | 75p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 miles | 1,089 kWh | £83 | £287 | £817 |
| 8,000 miles | 1,743 kWh | £132 | £459 | £1,307 |
| 12,000 miles | 2,614 kWh | £199 | £688 | £1,961 |
| 15,000 miles | 3,268 kWh | £248 | £860 | £2,451 |
Each cost is energy × rate, rounded to the pound, the same way the 142-car table rounds.
Other Tesla Model 3 versions
| Version | Wh/mile | mi/kWh | 7.6p | 26.32p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RWD (this page) | 218 | 4.59 | £132 | £459 |
| Premium RWD | 219 | 4.57 | £133 | £461 |
| Premium AWD | 232 | 4.31 | £141 | £489 |
| Performance | 243 | 4.12 | £148 | £511 |
Every row comes from the same EV-Database list as all 142 cars. Battery sizes differ between versions, so the per-charge costs above are only for the RWD.
Winter, motorways and losses
EV-Database’s 218 Wh a mile is a middle figure. Its own range for this car runs from about 182 Wh a mile (combined, mild weather) to 261 Wh a mile (combined, cold weather at −10°C with heating on), and 300 Wh a mile at 70 mph in the cold.
- If all 8,000 miles were at the cold combined figure: 8,000 ÷ 3.83 = 2,089 kWh, or £159 at 7.6p and £550 at 26.32p.
- That is a worst-case year, not a forecast. A real year mixes summer and winter.
- Charging losses are not included anywhere on this page. Some energy is lost between the meter and the battery, so your meter will show more kWh than the battery takes in. Your smart meter or charger app shows the real figure.
Which tariff, and what about public charging?
The 7.6p figure is Intelligent Octopus Go. Other UK EV tariffs have different night rates, windows and car or charger rules, all checked on the suppliers’ own pages: see UK EV tariffs compared. For how the 75p public figure compares with published network prices, see home vs public charging. For what one night adds, see miles from one overnight charge.
Check it with your own numbers
The homepage EV calculator has a mileage slider and three efficiency buttons. For the Tesla Model 3 the nearest button is 4.5 mi/kWh, so its totals will be close to, not the same as, the figures here. You can also type your own off-peak and day rates into the calculator. For the exact 4.59 mi/kWh figure at any mileage, use the mileage box on EV charging costs by car.
Other cars in this series: Vauxhall Corsa Electric, MG4, Tesla Model Y, Nissan Leaf, Kia EV3, Renault 5. All 142 cars are in EV charging costs by car.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to fully charge a Tesla Model 3 at home?
The Tesla Model 3 RWD has a 60.0 kWh usable battery (an EV-Database estimate). Filling all of it costs about £4.56 at 7.6p/kWh and £15.79 at the 26.32p price cap, before charging losses. A more typical 10–80% top-up is 42.0 kWh: about £3.19 overnight or £11.05 at 26.32p.
How much does a Tesla Model 3 cost to charge per mile?
At 4.59 miles per kWh, it is about 1.7p a mile at 7.6p, 5.7p at 26.32p and 16.3p at 75p public rapid. Cold weather and motorway speeds raise all three.
How many miles does one night add to a Tesla Model 3?
In the six hours from 23:30 to 05:30, a 7.4 kW wallbox adds up to 44.4 kWh, about 204 miles at 4.59 mi/kWh. A 3-pin granny lead at 2.3 kW adds 13.8 kWh, about 63 miles. Losses are not included.
Is the standing charge included?
No. The 54.83p a day standing charge (about £200.13 a year under the October–December 2026 cap) is paid whatever time you charge, so it is left out of every figure here.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is arithmetic from published rates and EV-Database estimates. Check your own tariff and bill before you switch or buy anything.
Not financial advice. These are worked examples from published rates and EV-Database consumption estimates, for planning only. Your own tariff, day rate, standing charge, car, driving and weather will change the numbers. Check your bill and your supplier’s current terms before you switch or buy anything.
Sources
- EV-Database, Tesla Model 3 RWD (consumption, usable battery, charging times)
- EV-Database, UK real-world consumption list (Wh/mile)
- Ofgem, price cap 1 October–31 December 2026
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (1 October–31 December 2026)
- Octopus Energy, Intelligent Octopus Go
- PlugLater, UK EV tariffs compared (rates checked 15 October 2026)
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