Electric vs. Gas: East Coast Tesla Model Y Road Trip - Who Wins the Race and Saves More Money?

[@LockettTech]

The total for the gas car on the way back was wrong on the graphic...their total was 3 stops for a total of $149.23. The savings total of only $34.14 was in fact correct but it looked incorrect due to the error in the graphic for the gas car. Yes, a pickup to a Model Y is not the best possible comparison but any vehicle that can fit a family of 5 will not average much better mpg then the 20 mpg the F-150 did. Sedans will be in the 30's for sure but you cannot fit a family of 5 plus luggage on a 1,000 mile road trip in a Camry or Jetta. A Chevy Traverse would have been a better comparison but even that only averages about 22 mpg so the comparison overall is not far off. SCIENCE!

[@mitchharris97]

That must be an extremely inefficient truck I did the math for our personal gas cars 2018 Jeep grand Cherokee which would be closer in size to the Tesla We average 26 on the highway with that car total range 676 we stop at about 80 miles when we fill up so usable range 596 miles so your trip based on gps your trip is 982 miles so it would have taken 1 stop for gas starting with a full tank gas cost us about 70 to fill so 110$ to make the trip down Now our other car a 23 Silverado We average 23.6 on road trips total range 566 miles once again stop around 80 left so 486 miles of usable range so it would have taken 2 stops 3 total tanks 65$ per fill so on the road cost 130$ so very little diffence in cost but the amount of fill ups he made doesn’t add up for the miles driven and the truck is less to fill cause it has a smaller tank then the jeep but when you look at those rough costs your looking at a savings of like 15$ on the truck 5$ on the jeep so very little savings and that’s if the cars i listed don’t do better on fuel highest we’ve seen out of the truck is 27.7 and the jeep pushing 30 mpg at 29.2 so if they hit those numbers almost no savings in ev plus the added time and like you had to do charge before you got there cause there was nowhere to charge so range anxiety

[@Chileboy96]

You’re off on the home trip numbers. Savings to FL = $69.06 Savings from FL = $78.50 Total savings = $148.10 Also, to be a completely fair comparison you would need to calculate the difference of a full tank vs charge beginning the trip. And refueling vs charging once at home. Those charging at home numbers really make a big difference. But good comparison. Thanks!

[@LockettTech]

Thanks Mark. I missed it when reviewing it. In my defense this video took a solid 2 weeks to put together just in post work! Lol. Thank you for the math update though!

[@NoCheetoes]

Not surprised by the numbers. I always tell people the savings is charging at home and that super charging is equivalent to $3.50 gallon of gas with a car that gets 30 mpg. There will be savings anytime that gas gets above that. Charging at home is equivalent to paying $1.40 per gallon. Bucees is the best place to stop on a road trip, the biggest, best, and cleanest bathrooms. Also the jerky bar is awesome. We stop at them whenever we have the chance, even if they don’t have super chargers. Don’t forget that if you have a hotel with charging available you can save quite a bit there as well. Many of those are free to use.

[@Jimbow03]

It looks like you’re numbers are off going home. Great video, thanks.

[@maryanneneal4066]

Great content. I’ve predominantly charged at home only. We charged at a supercharger once from 48% to 70% and it cost $10. While at home on off peak a full charge to 77% is maybe $7. Superchargers are very high. Almost like gas.

[@bubbalo3388]

The comparison was a truck vs like midsize vehicle also. If the other car was like a comparable sized vehicle like a Accord or Camry the cost would probably of been about the same. And if you compared it with hybrids then it may also come out different. So EV's aren't really that much cheaper to operate using public chargers. To be fair they would spend most of the time using home charging though. Also lots of hybrids now are getting around 50 mpg and can get like 500+ range on them. So they are not a bad option. And this trip with an EV one way could of prob of taken only two tanks of gas.

[@22tbond]

Sadly supercharger rates have gone up a lot, at least in California. So much cheaper to charge at home. That is where the big saves is over gas cars. Looks like for road trips where you have to use SC not so much. The other factor to consider is how much more fun EVs are to drive over gas cars. 😝

[@SavingsMinusDebt]

"Does financing a new car GAS OR ELECTRIC make cents?" Yes! For the bank ... not you! LOL

[@mikaelskoglund373]

Not surprised at all. Fast charging is more expensive, but still cheaper than gas. Nice video.

[@MrPcphn1]

EV car is good for city driving not for long distance. We are not there yet. When you see range 600-700 mile range then it's comparable to gas car.

[@kv1930]

Sir you hit the nail on the head. The sad part is most EV owners are brain washed and won't accept the cons of EV. Tesla is fun to drive, that's why I rent every once in a while.

[@RayPruett]

I would love to know how long each charge took. In my Id4, it would take about an hour unless there was a line waiting….then I’ve waited hours. This is why I’m watching all these videos. Thanks for all the information. I’m ready to jump to a Tesla.

[@kelato]

Curious if you had the option of destination charger, for sure, alternative to using super charger and home charging is where the real savings kicks in.

[@KineticEV]

You guys are the best. I live in Virginia, born in DC and grew up in Maryland. I'm familiar with Laurel MD. Take the memories back. Petersburg Va. is a distance away from me but I've definitely heard of it and driven by there. I still think you made out a little better. You were able to take a lot of stress off of yourself by getting and using FSD. Even basic autopilot would have taken a lot of stress off you you. You also go to break of the monotony of driving by parking, charging and walking around, doing some shopping and getting some food. It was an actual "Road Trip" as apposed to just trying to get from point A to point B. And there's a little more to do even in a Tesla with all of the entertainment features than there is in most vehicles. For spring break we drove from Virginia to Atlantic city and autopilot was by far one of the best things about being on I95 in all of that traffic. Plus, I'd say saving $100 in total over the gas vehicle was worth it.

[@technicallybetter]

A better comparison would be to a Sienna Minivan. It would easily handle your family and all the luggage. Cost 25% less in fuel than the Tesla (assuming gas at $3.5 and Supercharger cost of $.40 per KWh) and if you started with a full tank, could get you there with only one stop. Charging the Tesla at home before the trip starts would only save you the cost of KWh for the first leg.

[@TheDennismcgovern]

We had a Sienna Minivan before the F150 and made the trips several times. The number of stops was almost identical to the F150 as the miles per gallon was still under 25.

[@technicallybetter]

@@TheDennismcgovern Yes, the older Sienna has a MPG in the lower 20s. However, starting with the 2021 model, they get about 36mpg and have a range of around 550 miles. That is what I was comparing with.

[@Arthur-dj8im]

Thank you for this video. Just a quick question what engine did the f150 have?

[@Itsjustanopinionchill]

did you leave the roof rack on? if so that might have dragged you down a bit especially over that long of a distance. nice comparison though.

[@LockettTech]

Yes...we leave our roof rack on all the time. Great video idea though!

[@raulsuazo5015]

On my m3 lr i had travel over 240 mile before even charging at the first stop.

[@carperdiem8754]

Fullsize pickup vs compact crossover. Apples / Oranges

[@LockettTech]

Not as much as you'd think. The pickup ran an average of 20 mpg which is not far off from what a standard SUV would be. When we drove it our mini-van a while back that was about a 20 mpg average too.

[@ellichka08]

I bet you were way more comfortable in the van

[@johnsiviour4929]

What was your speed on the freeway sections vs speed of the F150 (I suspect the F150 was slower). I note roof racks in final scene.... were they on for the trip? If so were you using a roof box?

[@TheDennismcgovern]

We were just under 10 MPH over the speed limit. The weather was bad at parts on the way down so that slowed both of us down.

[@nickolashaustein]

Did the truck start with a full tank of gas and did the Tesla start at 100%?

[@technicallybetter]

I found the reason for the confusion regarding the costs on the way back. At timestamp 23:14, the cost for the F150 on the way back shows 3 stops and $149.23. Then less than 10 seconds later, that has through editing changed to 4 stops and $193.59 and the Tesla with 8 stops and $115.09. If you take the correct number $149.23 - $115.09 you get $34.14. One other quick comment would be that although it could appear using electric is cheaper, my guess is that by stopping for 15-30 minutes 8 times on such a trip will likely result in money spent in convenience stores that likely would not have been spent with fewer stops.

[@LockettTech]

Correct on the error. That is where the issue happened...it was just a typo on the graphic.

[@cgamiga]

Doesn't Disney parking and the hotel, have destination/level2 chargers? You could have saved the last arrival charge stop for that, and skipped one... and, the rain really hurt your efficiency. Clear weather, could have widened the cost gap. Depends on gas & supercharger prices; west coast, both are higher, I think gas is more, I've still saved around 30-50% vs even a 30MPG gas car. That's also not including free hotel destination charging which helps (I saved over $100 in $9/gal Death Valley national park gas costs! Furnace Creek Ranch has free charging!) But, the real benefit for me for Tesla vs gas cars: LESS FATIGUE. Due mostly to AutoPilot driving for you, and also "forced" little rest breaks for charging (much of which time, is multitasking for eating or bathroom breaks anyway... NOT wasted..) Our EV road trips , for driver at least, have been MUCH MUCH better vs gas car... 12hr driving day for 600miles to Death Valley, was a breeze, thanks to charging & some brief sightseeing stops. Much more rested than even 4hr drive to ski resorts... and, AutoPilot keeps you safer on long drives too, if your attention or wakefulness wanes. Plus, the tech is a very nice bonus, both the GPS map w/ full color satphoto, and streaming internet music, was huge for us. The back seats in Model 3 are not as comfy though... vs say a minivan... Thanks for the data & review! That's a tough long drive to do, glad you had a great time at DisneyWorld, thanks to wife for driving!

[@Commando_Craig]

Road trips. Gas car all day. Tesla is a local car. Once the ev cars become forced, charging will become an issue, and then travel days time will be implemented.

[@Chileboy96]

Once charging is commonplace your car will automatically reserve a spot when it estimates 15 min to charger. And there will be lots of places to choose from, similar to how many gas stations there are currently. Given the change EV’s will cause, I expect to see chain style businesses selling “memberships” for loyalty and convenience. We can choose to “pay as you go” at chargers for a peer charge price. Or we will pay for access to charging at any *McDonald’s* worldwide for $300/mo. X business *McDonald’s in this case* makes $$$ in loyalty food sales and because most people only road trip a few times per year. I also see “MagSafe” style parking spots instead of plug in. Entirely new industry for a motivated engineer to start working on.

[@Commando_Craig]

Hopefully, the power grids can support this idea in major cities. Solar roofs and panels would be nice also

[@kv1930]

In America I doubt EV's will be compulsory....the people won't stand for that.

[@kv1930]

8 stops @ 10-15 min each vs 1 stop at gas station??

[@kmancrx]

That bucees in Florence, SC is crazy.

[@ANSTUDIOS1]

I’m not following the math. $193.59 - $115.09 is not $34.14. What am I missing here?

[@LockettTech]

I think I may have flipped the home/away in the recap. My bad. The totals are accurate though and still not a huge difference in cost.

[@22tbond]

Yeah the chart showed the cost of gas truck going to Disney instead of the trip home so $34.14 was accurate just wrong on the visual.

[@michaelcrz1430]

A Toyota Prius V would been a better comparison. I am sure it will less expensive than the Tesla and much faster.

[@LockettTech]

Had to work with what we had access too. Once we get to 100K subs I can redo it against a Prius V! :-)

[@davva360]

Comparing a Model Y to an F150. LOL. Thats not a really good comparison and you keep calling it a gas car when it's a pick up truck. At best they will get 20mpg in that F150, my Jetta GLI, which is a more comparable size to the Y albeit with less seats would get about 36MPG which is almost double and would therefore cost almost half what the F150 cost to do the same trip. A mid sized SUV would probably get close to 30MPG on a highway so 50% better gas mileage than the Pick Up Truck. The main benefit of an EV is charging at home, the cost benefits are almost completely lost on road trips but because road trips are relatively rare they do save money overall. Dont get me wrong I have no problem with EVS but this is a useless comparison. You charged from 20% to 80% at the second stop so I am thinking thats roughly 120 to 130 miles or real world range for $22. At $3.50 a gallon that same $22 would get you 6.28 gallons. Even the F150 would get about 120 miles fore that same cost, a more similar sized gas car like a Jetta or Tiguan would get between 180 and 225 miles for that same cost. As I said even at todays high gas prices EVs are not cheaper to operate if you have to fast charge, charging at home is where they save you money.

[@davelpz3340]

I just made a short trip it totally sucked. I hated it as a matter of fact. In a model Y.

[@8bajwa8]

Good comparison. Now take f 150 out of equation and throw somthing comparable vehicle like Toyota rav 4 prime. Tesla will cost double.

[@theodorehaskins3756]

So the bottom line is you did save some money, and just imagine in the very near future when full self driving, will not require you to touch the wheel at all and when that happens that will blow the competition completely away. The other thing worth noting, the cost is based on the cost of gasoline, as electricity is predicated on the cost of generating electricity using fossil fuels, so electricity is going to get cheaper and cheaper as we continue to transition away from fossil fuels, and not be reliant on market pressures that drives up the cost of oil when these OPEC nut jobs decide they need more money. So this is why Tesla is investing in not just in manufacturing their own batteries, but they’re also investing in the virtual power plant which will allow homeowners to reap the benefits of being able to power their homes off the grid, and to feed energy back into the grid, and all of this will play into lowering the cost of energy for everyone across-the-board, something investors, and Wall Street so-called analyst doesn’t understand. So, from an investors point of view, Tesla isn’t just an automotive company, they’re a technology and energy company, and their ability to innovate at speeds no one has ever seen before is simply mind-boggling, and so gas cars although highly polluting, are very efficient at 55 miles an hour, but they’re terrible at low speeds, which is where most of them are operating, e.g., idling a traffic stops, queuing in a long line of traffic, gas cars are terrible in that situation, and there’s nothing you can do to change that. So this is where the gas mileage is terrible for gas cars versus EV‘s and your trip was largely based on highway driving in a blinding wind and rain storm. So obviously your mileage is going to be a lot less than if you had been driving in more ideal conditions. So for me, the savings is not in the cost of gasoline or electricity. It is in saving the environment, and if I don’t have to smell gasoline that’s enough for me to switch to an EV and I’ve been driving my Tesla Model 3 L/R for about 4 years, and I absolutely love it, and I wouldn’t trade it for nothing, and like you I got FSD and I absolutely love it, can’t wait until I don’t have to touch the steering wheel. So great video, good to see you guys returned home safely, and thanks for the ride along. Cheers 🥂

[@bc8093]

Not shocked at the results, since your math is wrong. SEE MARK'S comment below, whicg is correct and advise your "new" thoughts.

[@DiscoveryOwners]

I am confused, too. What is the round trip cost for each vehicle? And, each vehicle should start with a “full tank” and end with a “full tank” including the cost of a “full tank” at beginning and end of trip. The extra time charging enroute would not concern me. However, what would concern me is availability of EV charging at my destination, especially if I planned on touring remote areas. I have a 45’ motorcoach (diesel) and there have been several times I nearly ran out due to lack of diesel or ability to fuel due to lack of space. And many more times I had to unhook the toad to be able to fuel up. If we weren’t traveling with 3 cats and a bird, a gasser and motels would have been FAR cheaper! But, we love RV’ing and driving the Tesla, economics or refueling convenience be damned!