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

San Jose, CA to South Lake Tahoe, CA is 220 mi by road — 4h 8m of driving and 1 Supercharger stop — against 4h 15m door to door by air. Driving is cheaper: taking the Tesla costs $52 against $268 to fly, a saving of $217. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 14 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 14 October 2026.