Comment by mdeeks

I was surprised by some of the cost benefits of EV. I did a rough total cost of ownership for my wife's Model 3 vs my Audi A4. Over five years (@17k miles per year) it came out to the Model 3 being ~$10k cheaper than the A4 despite the Model 3 having a higher sticker price.

Because I know it will come up, I know these prices are not reasonable for most people and certainly far from the promised $35k. This is just a comparison for the Luxury segment we were shopping for.

My TCO notes below if you're curious or have feedback on things I'm missing:

    Fuel costs for Audi A4
    567 Gallons Gas 		: Assuming ~30 MPG
    * $3.64/gal			: Premium grade in SF, CA
    = $2063 / year

    Fuel costs for Tesla M3
    4116 kWh	 Electricity	: 4.13 miles/kWh (310 miles range / 75kWh battery) 
    * $0.13046/kWh		: PG&E off-peak rates (Winter, after 11pm)
    = $537 / year

    Tesla Fuel savings = $1526 / year

    Tesla Model 3 costs/rebate break down
    $ 56500		: Total cost (out the door)
    + 2685		: Electricity cost over 5 years
    + 1750		: Home charging plug installation + permit
    - 7500		: Federal tax credit
    - 2500		: California rebate
    - 500		: PG&E rebate
    + 5605		: Insurance cost over 5 years
    + ?			: Maintenance & Repair (Unknown, but expected to be much less than Audi)
    ---
    = $56040	: Grand total

    Audi A4 costs break down
    $ 50226		: Total cost (out the door)
    + 10315		: Gas cost over 5 years
    + 5845		: Insurance cost over 5 years
    + ?			: Maintenance & Repair (Unknown, but expected to be much more than Tesla)
    ---
    = $66386	: Grand total

    Tesla Model 3 is at least $10,346 cheaper for her to own over 5 years.

    Notes: 
    - This doesn't include resale value though articles I've seen mention that Tesla's hold their value as well or better than most Luxury cars.
    - She gets free charging at work so electricity costs will be a lot lower for the M3 than the worse case scenario I have above