Tesla Model Y & Model 3 Insurance Cost Calculator
Estimate a Tesla Model Y or Model 3 premium from published averages across multiple sources. Modelled range, transparent assumptions, no email required.
What this calculator does
This tool estimates the monthly and annual cost of insuring a Tesla Model Y or Model 3 in the United States, using published averages from multiple insurers and publishers. It does not provide a quote, and it is not affiliated with Tesla, Tesla Insurance, or any insurance carrier.
The estimate is a modelled range, not a prediction. Your actual premium depends on underwriting rules, carrier availability, and details a public model cannot see.
Why published Tesla insurance averages disagree
The same Tesla Model Y is quoted at roughly $183/mo (EVBytes), $241/mo (MoneyGeek), and $396/mo (Insurify) — a spread of more than 2×. The Model 3 shows a similar range (~$143–$298/mo). The differences come from:
- Driver profile mix. Aggregators that include young drivers, bad records, and minimum-coverage policies publish higher averages.
- Coverage and deductible basis. A "full coverage" average using 100/300/100 limits differs from one using 250/500/250.
- Carrier mix. Quote aggregators skew toward carriers that buy leads.
- State weighting. A national average is a population-weighted blend of state rates that differ by up to 55%.
This tool shows you the range across sources, not a single misleading number.
How the estimate is calculated
Each calculation follows this transparent formula:
- Base premium = published average for your model, from one of the named sources (low / mid / high).
- Profile factor = a directional adjustment for age, driving record, and credit versus the published average profile. These factors are industry rules of thumb, not carrier-filed rates.
- Deductible factor = a directional adjustment for higher or lower deductibles.
- Range = base premium × profile factor × deductible factor, applied across the low, mid, and high base figures.
State multipliers and mileage effects are not automatically applied. State rate levels (published range: 1.00 South Dakota to 1.55 Louisiana per The Charge Port) and mileage surcharges can move a premium by ±50%. See the notes in the result.
Assumptions and limitations
- Modelled estimate, not a quote. No insurer has agreed to these figures.
- Multipliers are industry rules of thumb, not carrier-filed rates.
- Credit is not modelled as a separate factor. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan restrict or prohibit credit-based insurance scoring.
- Tesla Insurance (telematics) is not modelled as a separate branch. Safety Score mechanics are not fully public; treat any Tesla Insurance quote you receive as a separate data point.
- Base averages are third-party publisher claims, not filings. They may themselves be modelled or aggregated.
- State variation is real. Your actual premium in Louisiana or Michigan will be materially higher than in South Dakota or Maine.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Tesla so much more expensive to insure than a gas car?
Insurers price for repair cost and total-loss severity, not just frequency. Tesla's aluminum-intensive structure, battery pack costs ($15,000–$22,000 replacement), and specialized labor drive collision and comprehensive severity higher than for a comparable gas car. Frequency (how often a claim occurs) is often lower for EVs, but severity is often higher.
Does my credit score affect my Tesla insurance?
In most U.S. states, yes. Insurers use a credit-based insurance score as one rating factor. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan restrict or prohibit this practice. If you live in one of those states, ignore credit-related advice you see in quote comparisons from other states.
Is Tesla Insurance cheaper than a traditional carrier?
It depends on your Safety Score, mileage, and state. Tesla Insurance is a usage-based product priced monthly on driving behaviour. A clean-record driver who drives safely can save; a driver with volatility (night driving, sharp braking) can pay more than a traditional policy. There is no universal answer, and the tool does not model this trade-off automatically.
What deductible should I choose for a Tesla?
A higher deductible lowers your premium but raises out-of-pocket exposure on a high-repair-cost vehicle. Minor Tesla fender repairs run $1,500–$4,500; battery pack repairs can exceed $15,000. If you can absorb a $1,000–$2,000 loss without financial stress, a higher deductible usually makes sense. If not, keep it at $500.
Why do different websites show such different average prices?
Because they use different driver profiles, coverage levels, states, and data sources. Insurify uses real-time quotes from users, which skews toward people actively shopping (often because their rate is high). MoneyGeek uses modelled averages across many profiles. EVBytes deliberately shows a lower clean-record figure. None is "wrong"; they measure different things.
Does this calculator give me a real quote?
No. It gives you a modelled range based on published averages. To get an actual premium, you must request a quote from one or more carriers. Use the modelled range to decide whether a quote is worth shopping further, not as a substitute for one.
How often are the published averages updated?
MoneyGeek, Insurify, and The Charge Port update their figures periodically (typically quarterly or when data changes). The dates shown in the result reflect the last source date captured by this tool, not today's date. If the source pages have changed since, the estimate may lag reality.
Does state really matter that much?
Yes. The Charge Port publishes state multipliers from 1.00 (South Dakota) to 1.55 (Louisiana) — a 55% swing. Michigan's no-fault system and PIP requirements, Florida's litigation environment, and California's credit-use restrictions all produce state-specific rate levels that a national average can't capture. If your state is on the high end, expect the top of the modelled range to be closer to your reality.
Methodology and sources
The following published claims were used. All are labelled as "verified as published claim" — meaning they reflect what the source says, not necessarily an actuarially certified figure.
MoneyGeek — Model Y $241/mo, Model 3 $208/mo, full coverage average, 2026. turbo.moneygeek.com/insurance/auto/tesla-model-y-insurance/
Insurify — Model Y $396/mo, real-time quote average, 8/11/2026. insurify.com/car-insurance/vehicle/tesla/tesla-model-y/
EVBytes — Model Y ~$183/mo, clean-record estimate, 2026. evbytes.net
HowMuchCover — Model 3 $1,712/yr (~$143/mo), 10/2026. howmuchcover.com/tesla-model-3-insurance/
The Charge Port — Model 3 midpoint $3,570/yr (~$298/mo); state multipliers 1.00 (SD) to 1.55 (LA). thechargeport.com/ev/tesla-model-3/insurance
NAIC — EV insurance consumer overview, 7/24/2026. content.naic.org
model3insurance.com — Credit restriction states (CA, HI, MA, MI); directional methodology reference. model3insurance.com/calculator
This tool is informational only and does not constitute insurance advice. No insurer, broker, or regulator has reviewed it. Actual premiums depend on underwriting rules a public model cannot see. If you find an error, please use the site contact form.
Why Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Insurance Averages Disagree — and Which One Applies to You
The short answer: Published "average" Tesla Model Y and Model 3 insurance figures disagree because each publisher samples a different driver profile, a different coverage level, a different carrier mix, and a different set of states. The same Model Y shows up at roughly $183/month (EVBytes), $241/month (MoneyGeek), and $396/month (Insurify) — a spread of more than 2×.
None of those numbers is "wrong." They measure different things. The only figure that matters for your decision is one that reflects your age band, record, credit profile, deductible, and state. This article explains why the averages diverge, and points you to a modelling tool that applies the same reconciliation logic to your own inputs.
The published averages, side by side
The table below lists the five most-cited published averages for the Model Y and Model 3 in the United States, with the date each figure was published and the basis each publisher states (where stated).
| Source | Model Y (per month) | Model 3 (per month) | Stated basis | Date shown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVBytes | ~$183 | not stated | Clean-record owner estimate; the site explicitly argues that quote aggregators skew high by blending young drivers, bad records, and minimum-coverage profiles | 2026 |
| MoneyGeek | $241 | $208 | Full coverage average; model-year granularity; compares against 256 SUVs and 827 vehicles | 10/11/2026 |
| model3insurance.com | Model 3 only | $3,871/yr base (~$323/mo) | Starts from a single national average; the site labels the result "directional, not a quote" and does not model credit | 2026 |
| The Charge Port | Model 3 page | $3,570/yr midpoint (~$298/mo) | Midpoint of NerdWallet, MoneyGeek, Compare.com, Insurance.com, Insurify; driver profile stated as 40-year-old male, 100/300/100, $500 deductible | 2026 |
| HowMuchCover | Model 3 page | $1,712/yr (~$143/mo) | Stated as a national average; the driver profile behind the figure is not clearly disclosed on the page | 10/2026 |
| Insurify | $396 | Model 3 page separate | Real-time quote aggregation from actual user profiles; skews toward people actively shopping for insurance (often because their current rate is high) | 8/11/2026 |
The spread is real, and it is the most important thing to understand before you use any Tesla insurance figure you find online. The lowest published Model 3 figure ($1,712/year, HowMuchCover) is less than half the highest published Model 3 figure ($3,871/year, model3insurance.com). On the Model Y, the lowest ($183/mo, EVBytes) is less than half the highest ($396/mo, Insurify).
Why the numbers diverge
Five variables account for almost all of the difference. When you compare any two published averages, ask which of these five explain the gap.
1. Driver profile differences
Age and driving record are the largest rating factors after state and vehicle. A "national average" that includes 19-year-olds with one at-fault accident and a DUI will be materially higher than one restricted to clean-record drivers over 35. Publishers rarely disclose exactly which profile mix their average reflects, and that silence is the root of most confusion.
When you see a $396/month Model Y average alongside a $183/month Model Y average, the difference is usually not "which one is right" — it is "which driver population was sampled."
2. Coverage level and deductible
"Full coverage" is not a standardised term. A page quoting 100/300/100 limits with a $500 deductible measures a different product from one quoting 250/500/250 with a $1,000 deductible. Higher limits and lower deductibles both raise the premium, and they compound: a low-deductible, high-limit policy on a Tesla can be 30–50% more expensive than a state-minimum policy on the same vehicle.
Before comparing two published figures, check whether the pages state their coverage and deductible basis. If they do not, treat the comparison as directional only.
3. Carrier mix
Quote aggregators draw from carriers that buy leads, and the mix is not random. Some carriers — particularly direct-to-consumer insurers like GEICO and Progressive — advertise heavily and therefore appear more often in aggregated averages. Others, including regional mutual carriers and Tesla Insurance itself, may be under-represented or absent. A national average built mostly from lead-buying carriers is not the same as a national average built from all licensed carriers in a state.
4. State
A national average is a population-weighted blend of state-level rates that vary widely. The Charge Port publishes state multipliers that run from 1.00 (South Dakota) to 1.55 (Louisiana) — a 55% swing. Michigan's no-fault system, Florida's litigation environment, and California's credit-use restrictions each produce state-specific rate structures that a single national average cannot capture.
If you live in a high-cost state, the top of any published range is closer to your reality. If you live in a low-cost state, the bottom of the range is closer.
5. Credit
In most U.S. states, insurers use a credit-based insurance score as a rating factor. A poor credit profile can raise a premium materially, while excellent credit can lower it. The effect is not universal: four states restrict or prohibit the practice, and the Model 3–specific calculator most often cited as a competitor to this site does not model credit at all.
Credit's effect — and the four states where it is restricted
Credit-based insurance scoring is permitted in most states, but it is restricted or prohibited in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan. If you live in one of those four states, any published average that implicitly assumes a credit-based adjustment does not apply to you in the same way.
If you live elsewhere, credit is a real rating variable. The effect is not linear and not published by most carriers, but it is directional and it matters. A clean-record driver with excellent credit will typically sit below a national average that blends across credit tiers; a clean-record driver with poor credit will typically sit above it.
Tesla Insurance vs. a traditional carrier
Tesla Insurance is not just another carrier in the comparison. It is a structurally different product, and that structural difference is why published averages that blend Tesla Insurance with traditional carriers can mislead.
- Telematics-based pricing. Tesla Insurance prices monthly, using a Safety Score that reflects driving behaviour: forward collision warnings, hard braking, aggressive turning, unsafe following distance, and forced Autopilot disengagement. The score ranges from 0 to 100 and is averaged monthly.
- Volatility. Because the premium adjusts with the Safety Score, a Tesla Insurance premium can move up or down month to month in ways a traditional annual policy does not. Reddit threads frequently describe a premium starting high and dropping after the first month of clean driving — the opposite of a traditional policy's behaviour.
- Availability. As of October 2026, HowMuchCover lists Tesla Insurance as available in 12 states. That footprint changes; confirm current availability directly with Tesla before relying on it.
- Service-quality signal. The NAIC Complaint Index for Tesla Insurance has been reported (via a secondary source citing NAIC data) at 10.20 — roughly ten times the industry average. A high complaint index is a service-quality signal, not a price signal; it does not tell you whether Tesla Insurance is cheaper for your profile, only that its claims and service experience has drawn more complaints than the industry median.
If you are choosing between Tesla Insurance and a traditional carrier, the useful comparison is not "which one has a lower average." It is "at my expected Safety Score, in my state, at my coverage level, which one is lower for me?" No published national average answers that question. A modelled estimate that separates the two carrier types gets closer.
Model Y vs. Model 3 insurance
MoneyGeek publishes $241/month for the Model Y and $208/month for the Model 3 — a gap of about 16%. That gap is directionally consistent across publishers, but the underlying reason is not always explained.
The main drivers of the difference are vehicle value and repair cost. The Model Y is generally the more expensive vehicle, and more expensive vehicles cost more to repair and more to replace when they are declared a total loss. For a Tesla specifically, two repair costs dominate the calculation:
- Minor fender repairs: typically $1,500–$4,500 (published range from AutoEdgeView, August 2026).
- Battery pack replacement: typically $15,000–$22,000 (same source).
Those figures are why the difference between a Model Y and a Model 3 premium is smaller than the difference between their sticker prices — the underlying severity risk is dominated by the battery, which is similar in both cars.
What deductible should you choose?
A deductible is a trade-off, not a setting with a "correct" answer. Raising it lowers your premium and raises your out-of-pocket exposure. On a Tesla, the out-of-pocket exposure is unusually consequential because the repair-cost distribution is unusually severe.
The table below is a modelled illustration of how a deductible change typically moves an annual premium, holding everything else constant. It is a directional model, not a quote, and the actual effect varies by carrier and state.
| Deductible | Modelled effect on annual premium | Out-of-pocket exposure per claim |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | Baseline (highest premium) | Lowest |
| $1,000 | Roughly 5–10% lower than $500 | Moderate |
| $2,000 | Roughly 10–15% lower than $500 | High — covers a minor fender repair outright |
| $2,500 | Roughly 12–18% lower than $500 | Highest — a minor fender repair is a full out-of-pocket loss |
The practical rule: if you can absorb a $1,500–$4,500 loss without financial stress, a higher deductible usually makes sense on a Tesla because the premium savings compound over years. If you cannot, a higher deductible saves money on paper but exposes you to real risk on the first claim.
One deductible consideration that does not apply to a gas car: because the battery pack replacement cost is $15,000–$22,000, a Tesla is more likely than a comparable gas vehicle to reach the total-loss threshold after a moderate collision. In that scenario, your deductible is capped at the deductible amount, but the total-loss outcome itself is a risk independent of the deductible choice.
Use the calculator for your own profile
The figures above explain why published averages differ. They do not tell you what your Tesla should cost. The calculator applies the same reconciliation logic to your age band, driving record, credit tier, deductible, state, and mileage — and shows you where a quote you have already received sits relative to the modelled range.
Modelled estimate, not a quote. No email required. Transparent assumptions displayed alongside the result.
Open the Tesla Model Y & Model 3 Insurance Cost Calculator →
Methodology and sources
The reconciliation in this article rests on published averages from five independent sources. Each figure is a published claim — that is, it reflects what the named source states, not an actuarially certified rate. Where a primary source was not directly accessed, the secondary source is named in the list below.
- EVBytes — Model Y clean-record estimate of approximately $183/month, published 2026. The site's own critical framing is that quote aggregators publish inflated averages by blending incompatible driver profiles.
- MoneyGeek — Model Y $241/month and Model 3 $208/month, full coverage average, dated 10/11/2026. Model-year granularity is a distinctive feature of MoneyGeek's page.
- model3insurance.com — Model 3 calculator starting from a $3,871/year national average, published 2026. The site explicitly does not model credit and describes its output as "directional, not a quote."
- The Charge Port — Model 3 midpoint $3,570/year, 2026. The site states its driver profile basis (40-year-old male, 100/300/100, $500 deductible) and publishes state multipliers from 1.00 (South Dakota) to 1.55 (Louisiana).
- HowMuchCover — Model 3 $1,712/year, 10/2026. The driver profile behind this figure is not clearly disclosed on the page, which is why it is treated as a range endpoint rather than a benchmark.
- Insurify — Model Y $396/month, real-time quote aggregation, 8/11/2026. Because Insurify draws from active shoppers rather than a representative population, its average skews toward higher premiums.
- NAIC — EV insurance consumer overview, 7/24/2026. Supports the qualitative claim that Model Y and Model 3 are among the more expensive EVs to insure.
- AutoEdgeView — Model Y minor fender repair range $1,500–$4,500 and battery pack replacement range $15,000–$22,000, 8/13/2026.
- Tesorb (citing NAIC data) — Tesla Insurance NAIC Complaint Index of 10.20, dated 6/19/2026. The primary NAIC complaint database was not directly accessed for this article.
Carrier availability, Safety Score mechanics, and state-level credit rules are periodically changing. The dates above reflect the last verification of each claim. Before relying on any of these figures for a financial decision, check the current state of the source.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Tesla Model Y insurance per month?
Published averages for the Model Y in the United States range from roughly $183 per month (EVBytes, clean-record estimate) to $396 per month (Insurify, real-time quote aggregation), with MoneyGeek publishing $241 per month as a full-coverage average. The figure that applies to you depends on your age band, driving record, credit tier, deductible, coverage level, and state. A modelled estimate from the calculator on this site is closer to your situation than any published national average.
How much is Tesla Model 3 insurance per month?
Published averages for the Model 3 span a similar range: approximately $143 per month (HowMuchCover, $1,712/year), $208 per month (MoneyGeek, full coverage), and $298 per month (The Charge Port midpoint, $3,570/year). The gap between the low and high ends is real and reflects different driver profiles, coverage levels, and carrier mixes. None of these figures should be treated as a prediction of your own premium.
Why do Tesla insurance averages differ so much between websites?
Five variables account for almost all of the difference: (1) the driver profile mix each publisher samples, (2) the coverage level and deductible each uses as a baseline, (3) the carrier mix each draws from, (4) the state weighting behind a national figure, and (5) whether credit is modelled. A publisher that averages across young drivers, bad records, and minimum-coverage policies will publish a higher figure than one restricted to clean-record drivers. Neither number is wrong — they measure different populations.
Does my credit score affect my Tesla insurance?
In most states, yes. Credit-based insurance scoring is a rating factor in most of the U.S., but it is restricted or prohibited in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Michigan. If you live in one of those four states, the credit-driven variation you read about on other sites does not apply to you in the same way. If you live elsewhere, a clean-record driver with excellent credit will typically sit below a published national average, and a clean-record driver with poor credit will typically sit above it.
Is Tesla Insurance cheaper than GEICO?
There is no universal answer. Tesla Insurance is a telematics-based product that prices monthly on your Safety Score, so its relative cost depends on your driving behaviour, mileage, and state. A clean-record driver with a consistently high Safety Score may pay less through Tesla Insurance than through a traditional carrier; a driver with a volatile score may pay more. The useful comparison is not "which carrier has a lower average" but "which carrier is lower for my specific profile" — which is what a modelled estimate helps you approximate before you shop.
Which company has the cheapest Tesla Model Y insurance?
There is no single cheapest carrier for all Tesla Model Y owners. MoneyGeek and Insurify both publish carrier-level comparisons that show different carriers ranking first depending on driver profile, state, and coverage level. The practical answer is to get quotes from at least three carriers — typically including one direct-to-consumer carrier, one captive-agent carrier, and (if available in your state) Tesla Insurance — and compare them against a modelled range for your profile before deciding.
Does the 2026 Model Y cost more to insure than older model years?
Yes, directionally. MoneyGeek publishes a per-model-year breakdown that shows the 2026 Model Y at roughly $380 per month versus significantly lower figures for older model years. The main reason is vehicle value: newer, more expensive vehicles cost more to repair and more to replace when declared a total loss, and both of those feed directly into the premium. A used Model Y from an earlier model year will typically be cheaper to insure than a new one, all else equal.
What deductible should I choose for a Tesla?
It depends on your ability to absorb a claim out of pocket. Minor Tesla fender repairs typically run $1,500–$4,500, and a battery pack replacement can exceed $15,000. If you can absorb a $1,500–$4,500 loss without financial stress, a higher deductible ($1,000 or $2,000) usually makes sense because the premium savings compound over years. If you cannot, a lower deductible ($500) protects you against the first claim, which on a Tesla can be expensive.
Does a valet affect my Tesla Safety Score?
Yes, and it is one of the most common complaints about Tesla Insurance. Because the Safety Score is calculated from driving behaviour, a valet who accelerates hard, brakes sharply, or follows too closely can lower your score — and therefore raise your next month's premium — even though you were not driving. If you use valet services frequently, this is a real consideration when comparing Tesla Insurance against a traditional carrier whose premium does not adjust monthly.
Conclusion
The contradictory Tesla insurance averages you see online are not a sign that one publisher is wrong. They are a sign that each publisher is measuring a different driver profile, coverage level, carrier mix, and set of states. The useful question is not "what is the average" but "what is the estimate for my profile" — and the only way to answer that is with a model that separates those variables explicitly.
Before you shop, estimate your own range using the Tesla Model Y & Model 3 Insurance Cost Calculator. Once you have a range, request quotes from at least three carriers and compare each quote against the modelled range and percentile. That comparison — modelled estimate versus actual quote — is what turns a confusing set of published averages into a decision.
This article is informational and is not insurance advice. No insurer, broker, or regulator has reviewed it. Published averages reflect what the named sources state on the dates shown; they may change without notice. Actual premiums depend on underwriting rules a public model cannot see. Before making a financial decision, confirm current figures with the source and with your state's Department of Insurance. If you find an error, please use the site contact form.
Because battery health affects both resale value and total-loss severity, you can estimate degradation for a specific model year with the EV Battery Aging Calculator.
If your ownership decision extends beyond insurance, the EV Range Calculator by Temperature shows how climate affects real-world range — a factor that also influences annual mileage and therefore premium.
Tesla's Model Y and Model 3 have been identified as among the more expensive EV models to insure, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners notes that higher vehicle values, specialized repair needs, and battery replacement costs are the main drivers.
Credit-based insurance scoring is permitted in most states, but NAIC's overview of credit-based insurance scores explains that state laws place important limits on how these scores may be used, and some states prohibit certain uses altogether.
Tesla Insurance is not just another carrier in the comparison: Tesla's own insurance page confirms that premiums are based on a Safety Score calculated from driving behaviour, with no additional hardware required.
The gap between Model Y and Model 3 premiums is driven by repair severity rather than frequency. HLDI's insurance loss data by make and model lets you compare collision and comprehensive loss results for specific vehicles against class averages.