Model 3 of the Elon Musk-led EV maker Tesla has an annual cost of $5,061 (approx. ₹4.35 lakh) to run, making it the ‘least expensive common car’ in the United States, according to an analysis by Self Financial, a credit-building platform based in Austin, Texas.
Compared to gasoline, energy costs for Model 3 come to $636 per year, the smallest among the 50 cars, the best-selling ones in the US from 2022-24.
Annual maintenance costs ($1,143) for Model 3 are also the lowest of the models analysed, 30% less than the study average of $1,633.
Additionally, the Tesla vehicle is the least expensive car despite the estimated $2,463 spent on its yearly insurance, the third-highest in the analysis.
The top 10 least expensive cars are: Model 3 (Tesla), Elantra (Hyundai), Corolla (Toyota), Forte (Kia), Civic (Honda), Accord (Honda), Model Y (Tesla), Altima (Nissan), Camry (Toyota) and CR-V (Honda).
Most expensive cars
On the other hand, Chevrolet’s Tahoe was found to be the most expensive car to run, requiring an yearly cost of $1,584 to $8,046, higher than the average cost of $6,462 in the study.
Tahoe’s annual fees and taxes, at $1,319, and gas costs ($3,276) are the second-highest in the list. Toyota 4Runner, Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado have the same yearly gas costs.
The Lexus RX is the second-most expensive model, followed by the RAM Pickup, Toyota 4Runner and Chevrolet Silverado, respectively.