EV Charging in Tennessee: What the Numbers Mean
Tennessee's residential electricity rate is 12.0¢/kWh — 4.1¢ below the national average of 16.1¢/kWh, which works in EV owners' favor. At that rate, a typical EV (3.5 mi/kWh) costs $411/year to charge at home for 12,000 miles.
Compared to a 30 MPG gas car at $2.95/gal ($1180/year for the same miles), EV home charging saves $769/year — $3,845 over 5 years, before incentives.
Home Charging vs Public Charging in Tennessee
The biggest driver of EV cost is where you charge. Home charging at 12.0¢/kWh is always the cheapest option. Public Level 2 stations average around 30.0¢/kWh — 2.5x more expensive. DC fast chargers run about 34.1¢/kWh. Tesla Superchargers in Tennessee are estimated at 26.2¢–32.6¢/kWh depending on membership.
Most EV owners do 80%+ of their charging at home overnight. If you don't have home charging access, the economics shift significantly — charging entirely at public DC fast chargers would cost $1169/year in Tennessee, narrowing the gap with gas considerably.