Checked 6×
Is it cheaper to fly or drive a Tesla from Santa Clara, CA to Los Angeles, CA?
Take the TeslaYou keep
$215
In the car
6h 16m
Car is calmer by
65%
Car 20 · Flight 57
346 mi by road
4h 29m by air, only 1h 13m of it flying. 1 in 5 run late.
How this was priced
Santa Clara, CA to Los Angeles, CA is 346 mi by road — 6h 16m of driving and 2 Supercharger stops — against 4h 29m door to door by air. Driving is cheaper: taking the Tesla costs $69 against $284 to fly, a saving of $215. On the 0-100 stress scale the drive scores 20 and the flight 57.
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 19 October 2026.
Checking the route…
Check this yourself
- Distance and drive time come from live road routing, not straight lines.
- Every rate used is listed on Cost analysis and sourced on Sources.
- This trip as raw data: santa-clara-ca-to-los-angeles-ca.json
- Last recalculated 2026-10-19 · checked 6×. Costs are modelled estimates, not quotes.
Questions about this trip
Is it cheaper to drive a Tesla or fly from Santa Clara, CA to Los Angeles, CA?
Driving costs about $69 and flying about $284, so driving is cheaper by $215. The drive counts charging and a hotel night if it takes more than a day. The flight counts fares, bags, airport food on long flights and the rides at both ends.
How long does each take, door to door?
The drive is about 6h 16m including 2 Supercharger stops. Flying is about 4h 29m, counting the trip to the airport, security, the flight and getting to your destination.
How many Supercharger stops will I need?
About 2 Supercharger stops for 346 mi, assuming you leave full and charge to roughly 80% at each stop. Real range drops in cold weather, rain and at high speed.
How accurate are these numbers?
They're modelled estimates, not quotes. Airfares change daily, so check a real fare before booking. This trip was last priced 19 October 2026. Every rate and where it comes from is on the Sources page.