Update: September 2026
We rebuilt this comparison. Toyota now sells the Camry only as a hybrid, so the Tesla Model 3 Standard is compared with the 2026 Camry LE hybrid at current prices, with gas at $4.50 a gallon and home electricity at 18 cents per kWh. The federal EV tax credit ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so the Tesla is priced in full, and its higher price is counted once, through depreciation. Your result will depend on where you live, how far you drive and what you pay for electricity.
The Tesla Model 3 against the Toyota Camry is the most direct comparison between a mainstream electric car and the best selling midsize sedan in America. Both seat five and both aim at the middle of the market. Since the 2025 model year the Camry has been sold only as a hybrid, which makes this a contest between two very efficient cars. Here is what each costs to own over five years once fuel, maintenance, insurance and depreciation are counted.
The Cars Being Compared
- Tesla Model 3 Standard, 2026: $36,990 before $1,640 in delivery and order fees. EPA range 321 miles, though cold weather cuts usable range substantially. EPA efficiency 24 kWh per 100 miles, charging losses included. The $7,500 federal clean vehicle tax credit ended for vehicles acquired after September 30, 2025, so a 2026 buyer pays the full price.
- Toyota Camry LE, 2026: about $29,000 before its $1,195 delivery fee at launch. A hybrid rated at 51 MPG combined with front wheel drive, running on regular gas.
How We Compare Them
A complete five year ownership comparison has five parts:
- Depreciation: the price you pay minus the resale value after five years. This is how the price gap enters the total, so it is not counted a second time.
- Fuel and electricity at realistic mileage and local prices.
- Maintenance.
- Insurance.
- Practical differences such as access to charging.
We assume 15,000 miles a year for five years, regular gas at $4.50 a gallon (close to the national average in September 2026) and home charging at 18 cents per kWh (close to the U.S. average home electricity price in 2026, according to EIA). Maintenance, insurance and resale values are our estimates. Your own quotes and local used car prices will move the result.
Five Years of Costs
Fuel and Electricity
The Tesla uses 3,600 kWh a year (15,000 miles at 24 kWh per 100 miles), which costs $648 a year at 18 cents, or $3,240 over five years. The Camry burns about 294 gallons a year (15,000 miles at 51 MPG), which costs $1,324 a year at $4.50, or $6,618 over five years. The Tesla saves $3,378 on energy.
Maintenance
The Tesla needs no oil changes, spark plugs or transmission service, and regenerative braking spares its brakes. Over five years we estimate about $1,200 for tire rotations, cabin air filters, wiper blades and brake fluid checks. The Camry needs regular oil changes and filters, though its hybrid system is easy on brakes too; we estimate about $2,400. The Tesla saves about $1,200.
Insurance
Teslas usually cost more to insure because repairs are expensive. We assume about $1,700 a year for the Tesla and $1,350 for the Camry, so the Tesla costs about $1,750 more over five years. Quotes vary widely by driver and state.
Depreciation
This is where the price gap enters the total. We assume both cars keep about half of their price after five years, so the Tesla loses about $18,495 and the Camry about $14,500, a difference of $3,995. Used electric cars have often lost value faster than gas and hybrid cars in recent years, so this assumption may flatter the Tesla: each 5 points of its price that it loses beyond the Camry adds about $1,850 to the Camry's advantage.
Five Year Total
| Factor | Tesla vs. Camry |
|---|---|
| Fuel and electricity | Tesla saves $3,378 |
| Maintenance | Tesla saves about $1,200 |
| Insurance | Tesla costs about $1,750 more |
| Depreciation | Tesla costs about $3,995 more |
| Net after five years | Camry about $1,170 cheaper |
At national average prices, the Camry comes out about $1,170 cheaper over five years. That is a small margin on two cars that each cost tens of thousands of dollars to own, and your gas price, electricity rate and insurance quotes can move it either way. Against a gas sedan that averages 30 MPG, the Tesla would save about $8,010 on fuel instead, which is why the Camry's switch to hybrid matters so much here.
Where the Tesla Comes Out Ahead
The Tesla's case improves in specific situations:
- Cheap electricity and pricey gas. In Washington, at about $5.50 a gallon for regular and 10 cents per kWh for home electricity, the Tesla saves about $6,270 on energy and finishes about $1,730 ahead.
- Off peak charging. On a time of use plan at about 11 cents per kWh, the Tesla's five year energy cost drops to about $1,980, which roughly erases the Camry's lead.
- High mileage. At 20,000 miles a year the Tesla saves about $4,504 on energy over five years, which brings the two roughly even if the other costs stay the same.
- State incentives. Some states still offer EV rebates or tax credits, which can close much of the gap now that the federal credit has ended. Check your state's current programs.
Expensive gas alone is not enough when electricity is expensive too. In California, at about $6.00 a gallon and 30 cents per kWh, the Camry still comes out about $1,090 ahead. For a middle ground with a plug, see the PHEV versus hybrid comparison; for the hydrogen alternative, see hydrogen fuel cell cars.
Pro Tip
Run your own Tesla vs. Camry comparison at your local fuel price and electricity rate using the EV vs. gas cost comparison by state before you buy. The result is highly sensitive to those two inputs and can swing by thousands of dollars from the national average. The broader case for hybrids is in the hybrid versus gas comparison, and EV fuel savings per year isolates just the yearly fuel side.