FSDClarity

Tesla Supercharger Cost per kWh in California (2026 Rates)

4 min readBy the FSDClarity team

Tesla Superchargers in California typically cost about $0.50–$0.71 per kWh at peak times and $0.33–$0.49 per kWh overnight in 2026. That makes California one of the most expensive states to Supercharge. A typical 10% to 80% stop in a Model 3 or Model Y Long Range costs roughly $23–$40, depending on the station and time of day.

Here's how California Supercharger pricing works, what you'll pay per session and per mile, and how to keep your charging bill down.

Supercharger Cost Calculator
Defaults are typical California Supercharger rates. Check the exact price for a station in the Tesla app and edit them.
$/kWh
$/kWh
%
%

The rest is charged at home.

$/kWh
$

10% → 80% Supercharger session

$29.86

Your monthly charging cost

$117

Same miles in a gas car

$160

FuelPer milePer monthPer year
Supercharger only$0.151$151$1,814
Home only$0.103$103$1,232
Gas car$0.160$160$1,920

A 10% → 80% stop adds about 55 kWh at a blended $0.54/kWh. Home charging includes about 10% charging loss. Idle fees and the non-Tesla membership aren't included.

California Supercharger rates in 2026

Tesla sets prices station by station, so there's no single California rate. Snapshots from mid-2026 show the range:

ExamplePeak rateOff-peak / overnight
Sacramento-area station$0.57/kWh$0.43/kWh
Same station, Tesla membership price$0.55/kWh$0.33/kWh
Torrance station$0.71/kWh$0.49/kWh
California average peak (one tracker, July 2026)about $0.70/kWh—

Urban Southern California and Bay Area stations tend to sit at the top of the range. Stations along I-5 and in the Central Valley are often cheaper. The Tesla app shows the exact price before you go — tap a Supercharger on the map to see its current and off-peak rates.

Peak vs off-peak: when it's cheaper

Most California Superchargers have time-of-use pricing. Overnight and early morning sessions — roughly midnight to 9 a.m. at many sites — are usually 20–30% cheaper than afternoon and evening sessions. If you can charge on the way home late at night or before work, you'll pay noticeably less.

What a Supercharger session costs by model

A 10% to 80% session adds about 70% of the usable battery. At a typical $0.58/kWh peak and $0.42/kWh off-peak:

TeslaEnergy added (10–80%)Peak costOff-peak cost
Model 3 RWDabout 42 kWhabout $24about $18
Model 3 / Model Y Long Rangeabout 55 kWhabout $32about $23
Model S / Model Xabout 67 kWhabout $39about $28
Cybertruckabout 86 kWhabout $50about $36

Cost per mile: Supercharger vs home vs gas

A Model Y uses about 0.28 kWh per mile. Here's what that means in California:

  • Supercharger at $0.58/kWh: about 16 cents per mile
  • Home charging at $0.33/kWh (including about 10% charging loss): about 10 cents per mile
  • Gas car at 30 MPG and $4.80 a gallon: about 16 cents per mile

So in California, Supercharging at peak rates costs about the same per mile as a fuel-efficient gas car. Home charging is where EVs save serious money — and if you're on an EV time-of-use plan with cheap overnight rates, the savings are even bigger.

Other Supercharger charges

  • Idle fees: if your car stays plugged in after charging finishes at a busy station, Tesla charges per minute. Move the car when the app says charging is done.
  • Non-Tesla EVs pay higher rates unless they buy Tesla's Supercharging membership (about $12.99 a month).
  • Congestion pricing: at some very busy sites, Tesla can add a fee for staying above 80% when others are waiting.

How to pay less at California Superchargers

  1. Charge at home for daily driving. Even California's high home rates beat peak Supercharging.
  2. Use off-peak hours on road trips when you can.
  3. Stop at 80%. Charging slows a lot above that, and the last 20% costs you the most time.
  4. Precondition the battery by navigating to the Supercharger, so you charge at full speed.
  5. Compare nearby stations. Two Superchargers a few miles apart can differ by 10–20 cents per kWh.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tesla Supercharging free in California?

Not for most owners. Free unlimited Supercharging only applies to some older Model S and Model X cars bought with it, or to cars with promotional free miles.

Does Tesla charge per kWh or per minute in California?

Per kWh. California requires electricity to be sold by the kilowatt-hour at public chargers.

Why is Supercharging in California so expensive?

California has some of the highest commercial electricity rates and demand charges in the US, and Tesla sets each station's price to reflect local costs and demand.

The bottom line

Budget around $0.50–$0.70 per kWh for daytime Supercharging in California and less overnight. For a Model 3 or Model Y that's roughly $25–$40 per road-trip stop. Use the Supercharger Cost Calculator to plug in the rates for the stations you actually use.

Related guides