The short answer: A 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD costs about $3.69 per 100 miles to charge at home in Tennessee, and $12.07 for the energy to drive its 327-mile EPA range. That uses the August 2026 residential average of 13.42¢/kWh, up from 13.09¢/kWh in August 2025 and about 26% below the U.S. residential average of 18.16¢/kWh. The same 100 miles cost about $12.61 in a 30-mpg gas SUV at AAA’s Tennessee average of $3.782 a gallon (October 28, 2026), and about $14.85 at a public DC fast charger.
EIA Table 5.6.A: EIA labels the 2026 values in this table as preliminary estimates based on a cutoff model sample from Form EIA-861M (formerly EIA-826). Values for 2025 are final. These are state or district-wide residential averages, not a household tariff. Method.
EV vs gas in Tennessee: cost per 100 miles
Tennessee’s regular gas averaged $3.782 a gallon on October 28, 2026, the 6th-cheapest among the 50 states and the District (AAA).
| How you fuel | Math | Per 100 mi | 12,000 mi/yr | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, charged at home | 13.42¢/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $3.69 | $443 | EPA · EIA |
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, public DC fast | $0.540/kWh × 27.50 kWh | $14.85 | $1,782 | Paren, U.S. average |
| 2026 Toyota RAV4 (2.5 L hybrid, 2WD) | $3.782/gal ÷ 43 mpg | $8.80 | $1,055 | EPA · AAA |
| 2026 Honda CR-V FWD (1.5 L turbo, gas) | $3.782/gal ÷ 30 mpg | $12.61 | $1,513 | EPA · AAA |
- Home charging vs the gas SUV: about $1,070 a year less at 12,000 miles. Home charging stays cheaper until electricity reaches about 45.84¢/kWh, 3.4× the state average.
- Home charging vs the hybrid: home charging is about $613 a year cheaper. The break-even against the hybrid is 31.98¢/kWh.
- Public fast charging vs gas: relying on DC fast charging costs more than the gas SUV at these prices ($14.85 vs $12.61 per 100 miles).
Checked on the Model Y: 27.50 kWh/100 mi × $0.1342/kWh = 3.6905, which rounds to $3.69 per 100 miles. The gas SUV is 100 ÷ 30 mpg × $3.782 = 12.6070, or $12.61. The break-even electricity price is $12.61 ÷ 27.50 kWh = 45.84¢ per kWh.
Utility EV and time-of-use prices in Tennessee
Prices quoted from each utility’s tariff or rate page. Fixed charges, riders and taxes are extra unless the line says otherwise.
- Nashville Electric Service, Residential: One price at all hours: an 8.664¢/kWh base rate plus TVA's fuel cost adjustment, 2.733¢ for November 2026. NES lists no residential time-of-use rate. NES, Rates, checked Nov 2026.
For the 27.50 kWh a Model Y uses per 100 miles: about $3.13 at Nashville Electric Service’s all-hours (base plus November fuel adjustment) price (11.397¢). That is before fixed charges and riders; the state average works out to $3.69.
AFDC’s utility records (program types, no prices) list 7 utilities in Tennessee with an EV rate or managed charging:
- Appalachian Power Company (EV rate) · site
- Covington Electric System (EV rate) · site
- Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation (EV rate) · site
- Duke Energy (EV rate) · site
- Gallatin Department of Electricity (EV rate) · site
- Memphis Light, Gas and Water (EV rate) · site
- Middle Tennessee Electric (EV rate) · site
Have an off-peak price? Put it in the calculator.
EV rebates and tax credits in Tennessee
We found no open state EV rebate or tax credit in Tennessee, and no utility charger rebate we could verify, when we checked in November 2026.
Federal credits are gone: 30D and 25E for vehicles acquired after Sept. 30, 2025, and 30C for chargers placed in service after June 30, 2026 (IRS: new, used, charger).
Public charging in Tennessee
The AFDC counted 3,146 public charging ports at 1,135 locations in Tennessee on October 28, 2026: 2,069 Level 2 and 1,076 DC fast, plus 1 Level 1. AFDC also counts about 55,400 battery-electric vehicles registered in Tennessee through 2025 (0.8% of light-duty registrations). That is about 17.6 EVs per public port, against 21.7 nationally, the 26th-most EVs per port among the 50 states and the District.
Paren’s Q3 2026 report has no Tennessee figure, so fast-charging math here uses its U.S. average of $0.540 per kWh.
Stations that bill energy delivered to the car charge less than the EPA wall figure. As a rough estimate (wall energy × 0.894, a Level 2 efficiency from Sears et al., 2014), the Model Y comes to about $13.28 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh.
Cost to charge five common EVs in Tennessee
| Vehicle | EPA kWh/100 mi | EPA range | Home / 100 mi | Home full charge | Public DC / 100 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD | 27.50 | 327 mi | $3.69 | $12.07 | $14.85 |
| 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD | 24.30 | 321 mi | $3.26 | $10.47 | $13.12 |
| 2026 Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD | 31.08 | 319 mi | $4.17 | $13.31 | $16.78 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD | 30.00 | 318 mi | $4.03 | $12.80 | $16.20 |
| 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E RWD | 31.44 | 260 mi | $4.22 | $10.97 | $16.98 |
Where Tennessee sits
Tennessee is in the East South Central census division.
States next to Tennessee on price
Also in East South Central
All 50 states and D.C., ranked
Open the calculator at 13.42¢/kWh
Related: what a Level 2 charger costs to install in Tennessee, home charger rebates in Tennessee, the extra EV registration fee in Tennessee, whether your panel can take a Level 2 circuit, home charger comparison, and all free EV tools.
Pricing a Level 2 charger? See the charger guide and the ChargePoint Home Flex review.
Check Home Flex on AmazonFAQ: charging an EV in Tennessee
How much does it cost to charge an EV at home in Tennessee?
About $3.69 per 100 miles in a 2026 Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD at 13.42¢/kWh (EIA, August 2026), and $12.07 for its full 327-mile range. On Nashville Electric Service’s all-hours (base plus November fuel adjustment) price of 11.397¢ it falls to about $3.13 per 100 miles before fixed charges.
Is charging an EV cheaper than buying gas in Tennessee?
Yes, at home: $3.69 per 100 miles for the Model Y versus $12.61 for a 30-mpg gas SUV and $8.80 for a 43-mpg hybrid, with regular at $3.782 (AAA, October 28, 2026). The SUV only wins above 45.84¢/kWh.
Is public DC fast charging more expensive than gas in Tennessee?
Yes. $14.85 per 100 miles at $0.540/kWh (Paren, U.S. average) is more than the gas SUV’s $12.61 and $11.16 more than home charging.
Do Tennessee utilities offer EV charging rates?
Nashville Electric Service, Residential: One price at all hours: an 8.664¢/kWh base rate plus TVA's fuel cost adjustment, 2.733¢ for November 2026. NES lists no residential time-of-use rate.
What EV rebates or tax credits are available in Tennessee?
None that we could verify: in November 2026 we found no open state EV rebate or tax credit in Tennessee and no utility charger rebate with a published amount. The federal purchase and charger credits have also ended.
How many public EV chargers are there in Tennessee?
The AFDC station count for October 28, 2026 shows 1,135 public charging locations in Tennessee with 3,146 ports: 2,069 Level 2 and 1,076 DC fast, plus 1 Level 1. AFDC counts about 55,400 battery-electric vehicles registered there through 2025, or about 17.6 EVs per public port.
More sources
Electricity, gas, vehicle and fast-charging sources are linked in the tables above.
- AFDC station counts (October 28, 2026), registrations (2025), and utility records (2026-10-28).
- NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance, statewide mean temperature: Tennessee January 37.9°F, July 77.5°F (1991–2020 averages).
- AAA, cold weather and EV range (Feb. 7, 2019).
- EIA state generation data, 2024: nuclear 42.3%, coal 22.9%, natural gas 21.6%, hydropower 11.7%.