Methodology and sources
Every number on this site comes from a formula on this page and a source listed below, so you can check our work in a spreadsheet.
The monthly total
The headline is what leaves your account each month. Depreciation is shown separately and never added: your loan payment already repays the car's price, so adding its lost value would count the car twice.
monthly out of pocket = loan + insurance + charging + taxes & fees + maintenance1. Price
New: the trim's price plus Tesla's $1,390 destination fee and $250 order fee. This is the amount that gets taxed and financed. Used: the price you enter.
| Trim | Price | Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| Model Y Standard RWD | $39,990 | 250 Wh/mi |
| Model Y Standard AWD | $41,990 | 270 Wh/mi |
| Model Y Premium RWD | $45,990 | 250 Wh/mi |
| Model Y Premium AWD | $49,990 | 274 Wh/mi |
| Model Y Performance | $57,990 | 321 Wh/mi |
| Model Y L (Launch Series, 6-seat) | $61,990 | 285 Wh/mi |
2. Loan payment
M = P × r(1+r)^n / ((1+r)^n − 1) P = price − down payment, r = APR/12, n = monthsZero for cash purchases. Lease math isn't supported yet.
3. Insurance
monthly = state Model Y baseline × trim factor × your factors / 12Each state's baseline is the midpoint between two published full-coverage averages for a Model Y (MoneyGeek and Insure.com, both modeling a 40-year-old driver with good credit and a clean record). We show the full low-to-high span as the range. Trims get a small factor (Standard RWD ×1.00, Standard AWD ×1.02, Premium RWD ×1.03, Premium AWD ×1.05, Performance ×1.08, L (Launch Series, 6-seat) ×1.06). Used cars 3 or more years old get ×0.9.
The optional "refine" factors are our own illustrative multipliers, not figures from any insurer: age under 25 ×1.65, 65+ ×1.08; one ticket ×1.22, at-fault accident ×1.45; under 7,500 miles ×0.93, over 15,000 ×1.07; home bundle ×0.9. We don't ask about credit, which many insurers use and which can move premiums a lot.
4. Charging
kWh/month = miles/12 × Wh per mile / 1000 blended $/kWh = home share × state residential rate + Supercharger share × 0.434State rates are EIA residential averages for July 2026, a summer month that runs somewhat higher than the yearly average. The Supercharger rate is the national average price Tesla owners pay. Used cars use 270 Wh/mi.
5. Taxes and fees
monthly = (price × sales tax + $500 title/misc) / 60+ annual EV fee / 12 + annual value-based fee / 12Sales tax is the state rate plus the state's average local rate (Tax Foundation). Texas applies only its 6.25% motor vehicle tax, and Florida applies county surtax to the first $5,000 only. California's vehicle license fee and Arizona's vehicle license tax use the first-year value, so later years cost somewhat less. We assume a dealer sale at the stated price. Texas taxes private-party sales on the higher of the price or 80% of the state's standard presumptive value, which we don't model.
6. Maintenance
$400 a year for most trims and $450 for Performance and Model Y L, covering tires, filters, wipers and brake service on Tesla's schedule. Cars more than 4 years old get ×1.3. Out-of-warranty repairs aren't included.
Depreciation (shown separately)
new: price × (1 − 0.45) / 60 used: price × (1 − value(age+5) / value(age)) / 60Based on iSeeCars resale data for the Model Y: it keeps 56% at 3 years, 45% at 5 years, 30% at 7 years, 22% at 10 years, with straight lines between those points.
Incentives
The federal new and used EV tax credits ended for vehicles bought after September 30, 2025. We list a state incentive only while it's open, with the date we last checked it.
Sources
Retrieved 2026-10-18. Government data (EIA, DOE AFDC, state agencies) is public. Commercial sources are cited and linked, not republished.