Tesla Model 3
vs Honda Civic
$76 a month cheaper to fuel

$910 a year. That's the fuel saving for a 2026 Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD over a 2026 Honda Civic Sedan 2.0 at 12,000 miles a year on US average prices: $44 a month to charge at home vs $120 in gas. Electricity is 18.31¢ per kWh (July 2026, EIA) and regular gas is $4.33 a gallon (week of Oct 12, 2026, EIA). Gas would have to fall to $1.60 a gallon for the Civic to tie, or home electricity climb to 49.5¢ per kWh.

This is the regular 2.0L Civic sedan, the cheapest car on this list to buy. The Civic Hybrid is in the versions table below.

State by stateFuel a month, 1,000 miles. Biggest saving first.

The Model 3 saves the most in Washington, $1,363 a year, where cheap power meets $5.38 gas. It wins in all 51, even Hawaii at 48.00¢ per kWh.

Electricity is each state's July 2026 residential average. Gas is the state's own EIA weekly series where one exists and its region's average otherwise; each state page says which.

City vs highwayCost per 100 miles at US average prices.

The gap is widest in city driving: the Model 3 uses 23.0 kWh per 100 miles there and the Civic gets 32 MPG. In highway driving it narrows to $5.81 per 100 miles. Stop-and-go traffic is where a gas engine wastes the most, so city drivers save the most by switching. EPA's combined rating weights city 55% and highway 45%, which is what every other number on this page uses.

Which version you buy matters2026 EPA ratings, 1,000 miles a month, US average prices.

Beyond the fuel billRange, home charging, tailpipe.

Range. The EPA rates the Tesla Model 3 Standard RWD at 321 miles on a charge. On a 48A home charger it adds about 43 miles an hour, so a typical day's driving (about 33 miles) goes back in 45 min. Level 1 vs Level 2.

Tailpipe. The Civic puts out 248 grams of CO2 per mile (EPA), about 248 kg over 1,000 miles. The Model 3 has no tailpipe; its emissions depend on how your grid makes power.

Second opinion. fueleconomy.gov's own yearly fuel cost estimate, at 15,000 miles and its national prices, is $550 for the Model 3 and $1,800 for the Civic. See EPA's side by side.

What this leaves out. Purchase price, insurance and maintenance usually move the total more than fuel does, and Supercharging on road trips costs more than home power. The calculator has fields for payment, insurance and maintenance.

Electricity: residential average, July 2026, EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A. Gas: regular retail, week of Oct 12, 2026, EIA weekly retail gasoline by area. Efficiency: EPA combined kWh per 100 miles, which already includes charging losses, from fueleconomy.gov. Monthly figures use 1,000 miles. Vehicle ratings: 2026 model year, fueleconomy.gov web services.