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Tesla Model 3 wins ‘most economical EV to own’ title in new study

The Tesla Model 3 has captured another crown in a recent study showing the most cost-effective EVs

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tesla model 3 driving on a wet road
(Credit: Tesla)

The Tesla Model 3 recently captured the title of “most economical electric vehicle to own” in a new study performed by research firm Zutobi.

Perhaps one of the biggest and most popular reasons people are switching to EVs is the cost savings. Combining home charging, lower maintenance costs, and tax credits has all enabled consumers to consider EVs as a way to save money on their daily drivers. However, there are some EVs that are more efficient and cost-effective than others.

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Zutobi‘s new study shows that EV cost-effectiveness comes at different levels. For example, some cars are simply better than others on a cost-per-mile basis. The study used a simple process to determine which EVs are more cost-effective than others by showing how much it would cost to drive 100 miles.

National averages for energy rates have been used to calculate the cost as they widely vary from state to state.

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The Rear-Wheel Drive Tesla Model 3 was listed as the most economical vehicle in the study:

“The standard Tesla Model 3 is the most economical electric vehicle to drive in 2025. With a usable battery capacity of 57.5 kWh and a real-world range of 260 miles, it costs just $3.60 to drive 100 miles. That translates to an impressive 2,781 miles per $100 of electricity—making it the most efficient choice for EV owners nationwide.”

It had an estimated cost of just $3.60 to drive 100 miles.

The Tesla Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive was second, the study showed:

“Next is the Long Range version of the Model 3, which offers extended range and dual-motor all-wheel drive. With a larger 75 kWh battery and 325 miles of range, the cost to drive 100 miles is slightly higher at $3.75, still equating to a strong 2,665 miles per $100.”

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This version of the Model 3 had a price of just $3.75 to drive 100 miles.

In third, the BMW i4 eDrive35 surprised us with a cost of just $4.12 to drive 100 miles:

“Rounding out the top three is the BMW i4 eDrive35, with a 67.1 kWh battery and a real-world range of 265 miles. Drivers can expect to pay $4.12 per 100 miles, which still allows for 2,429 miles per $100—a solid choice for those seeking luxury and efficiency.”

Several other Teslas made the list as well. The Model 3 Performance ($4.34 per 100 miles) was sixth and tied with the Volkswagen ID.3 Pure, the Tesla Model S Long Range ($4.35 per 100 miles) was 8th, and the Tesla Model Y Long Range was ninth ($4.36 per 100 miles).

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk says Tesla will take Safety Drivers out of Robotaxi: here’s when

“The safety driver is just there for the first few months to be extra safe. Should be no safety driver by end of year.”

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said today that the company plans to completely eliminate Safety Drivers from its Robotaxi fleet, which differs from the Safety Monitors it uses.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform utilizes employees in the front passenger seat during city rides in Austin and the driver’s seat of the vehicles during highway operations in Austin, as well as during all rides in the Bay Area.

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Musk said the presence of a Safety Driver “is just there for the first few months to be extra safe,” but there are plans to remove them in an effort to remove the crutches the company uses during the early stages of Robotaxi.

The CEO then outlined a timeframe for when it would remove the presence of an employee in the driver’s seat in both Austin and the Bay Area. He said there “should be no safety driver by end of year.”

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Having a Safety Driver or Monitor has been a major point of criticism from Robotaxi skeptics and Tesla critics.

However, Tesla has maintained that its priority in the early stages is the safety of riders, which will keep things running; even a single negative incident could derail self-driving efforts as a whole, including those outside of the company.

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Tesla executives have said their attitude toward safety is “paranoid,” but for good reason: an accident could set back the progress that it and many other companies, including rivals like Waymo, have made in the past few years.

For now, it might be a point of criticism for some, but it’s smart in the near term. Musk plans for Tesla to have Robotaxi operating for half of the U.S. population by the end of the year as well, so it will be interesting to see if it can maintain these timelines.

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The Boring Company begins hiring for Nashville’s Music City Loop

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed strong support for the project.

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Credit: The Boring Company/X

Elon Musk’s The Boring Company has started recruitment efforts for the Music City Loop, an underground tunnel system designed to link downtown Nashville with Nashville International Airport. 

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee expressed strong support for the project, describing it as a cost-free alternative to traditional mass transit systems that could ease traffic congestion in the city. Initial digging began in mid-August, with visible progress reported by September 1, as noted in a WKRN report.

Job creation and project scope

The Boring Company is currently seeking engineers, electricians, mechanics, and operations coordinators as part of its hiring drive for the Music City Loop in Nashville. Gov. Lee emphasized that unlike large-scale transit projects that typically cost billions, the tunnel system will not burden taxpayers.

“We’ve been trying to find ways, Metro Nashville has in particular, to develop transit in the city for a long time. It costs billions and billions of dollars to build out transit systems. We now have an opportunity to have a transit system that costs the taxpayers nothing,” Lee said, calling the effort the fast lane to the city’s future.

The Music City Loop aims to provide a quick and efficient link between the city center and the airport, similar to The Boring Company’s other tunnel projects like the Las Vegas Convention Center Loop. Officials have praised the company for cooperating with state permitting and regulatory requirements, suggesting that the Nashville Loop project is advancing in line with established processes.

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Community reactions and concerns

While officials are optimistic, community response has been mixed. Some residents have raised concerns about the speed of approval and a lack of public discussion before construction began.

Nashville resident Taylor John cited environmental impacts and worries that the tunnel could primarily serve tourists rather than local commuters. “I have a lot of concerns, first of all, by how fast this decision was made, I don’t think there was a lot of discussion from the members of the community before this decision was made. It’s going to impact us,” the resident stated.

Others, however, see the project as an innovative leap forward. “There’s a whole untapped potential underneath our feet,” resident Nathaniel Lehrer stated. “Anything that can save time when picking up family or friends or you need to catch a flight, it’d be an awesome option to have.”

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Tesla’s next-gen Optimus prototype with Grok revealed

The video shows a new Optimus prototype answering questions and taking some very robotic steps, evidently revealing that the next-generation version is in its early stages of development.

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Tesla’s next-generation Optimus robot with AI assistant Grok has been revealed in a new video shared on X.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff last night, and it appears the frontman gave Benioff an exclusive look at some upcoming technology.

Tesla talks Semi ramp, Optimus, Robotaxi rollout, FSD with Wall Street firm

The video shows a new Optimus prototype answering questions and taking some very robotic steps, evidently revealing that the next-generation version is in its early stages of development. It features Grok for some additional utility, as it answered questions Benioff asked in the short video.

Here’s what was uploaded to X:

It appears that there are several big changes to this next-generation version of Optimus, some of which have been discussed by Musk and Tesla in the past.

The first is purely cosmetic, but the gold color that Optimus is wearing in this is a new and fresh look that we have not seen before.

Perhaps the most interesting change that is evident here is the hands, which are much more detailed than past versions of Optimus:

However, we’re not too sure that these are what will be released with the next-gen Optimus, because they don’t appear to be functional, and they are more reminiscent of mannequin hands than anything.

The hands on Optimus have been a significant part of the program, as they are among the most crucial pieces of equipment on a robot. It needs to be able to perform both delicate and more imposing tasks. Tesla has aimed for Optimus to be able to thread needles or play the piano.

It was one of the most discussed improvements the company mentioned in past comments regarding how it planned to improve from Gen 2 to this next version.

Musk mentioned regarding Optimus:

“Next-generation Optimus hand, which we have in prototype form, has actuators that have moved to the forearm, just like humans, and they operate the fingers through cables, just like human hands.”

Within Optimus lies a significant opportunity for Tesla to gain considerable strength in terms of market share and valuation.

If Tesla can efficiently develop and deploy the humanoid robot over the next several years, the company stands to gain, as companies will utilize it for tasks that require tedious labor.

Musk recently said Optimus will be a major contributor to Tesla’s valuation moving forward. He believes it will make up roughly 80 percent of the company’s value.

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