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Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Richmond, CA to South Lake Tahoe, CA?

Take the Tesla

You keep

$244

In the car

2h 60m

Car is calmer by

83%

Car 10 · Flight 59

172 mi by road0 Supercharger stops

4h 14m by air, only 58m of it flying. 1 in 5 run late.

How this was priced

Richmond, CA to South Lake Tahoe, CA is 172 mi by road — 2h 60m of driving and 0 Supercharger stops — against 4h 14m door to door by air. Driving is cheaper: taking the Tesla costs $23 against $268 to fly, a saving of $244. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 10 and the flight 59.

Priced with fast charging at $0.50 per kWh and 3.7 miles per kWh, airfare from a $95 base plus $0.13 a mile per person, one $35 bag and a $30 ride at each end. Airfare is modelled from flight distance, not a live fare quote, so treat it as a typical fare rather than today's price. Rates last reviewed 14 September 2026; this trip last priced 12 October 2026.

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