How much is Tesla Model 3 insurance in South Carolina?
For the driver profile in our methodology, a 2024 Tesla Model 3 costs between $57/mo at the state minimum and $461/mo for low-deductible full coverage. Most owners land in the full-coverage row — lenders and lessors require it.
| Coverage level | What it covers | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum CoverageYou’re viewing this tier | Other people's injuries and property only | $57 – $95 | $684 – $1,140 |
| Liability Only | Higher limits; still nothing for your car | $98 – $164 | $1,176 – $1,968 |
| Full CoverageMost owners | Adds damage to your Model 3, theft, glass | $234 – $391 | $2,808 – $4,692 |
| Full Coverage + Low Deductible | Same, with less out of pocket per claim | $277 – $461 | $3,324 – $5,532 |
What minimum coverage includes
- Bodily injury + property-damage liability at 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP
- No required PIP in this state
- UM/UIM not listed as part of the state minimum
- No comprehensive or collision — the Model 3 itself is uninsured
What South Carolina requires to drive a Model 3
South Carolina lists 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP as the liability floor. That is what makes a Model 3 legal to drive — not full coverage, not a $500 deductible, and not a particular carrier.
- Liability floor
- 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP
- Fault system
- South Carolina is a tort (at-fault) state — the driver who causes a crash is who liability pays for.
- PIP
- PIP is not a required minimum in this state.
- Uninsured motorist in the minimum
- UM/UIM is not listed as part of the state minimum in our registry — it is typically added, not assumed.
- Uninsured-driver share (from state notes)
- About 11% — cited in this state’s notes that feed the page, not a live NAIC pull.
South Carolina Department of Insurance · South Carolina insurance hub
Model 3 insurance cost by model year
Newer models cost more to insure — a 2024 Model 3 runs about 17% more than a 2020 — because comp and collision track replacement value and parts cost. Liability barely moves with age.
| Model year | Full coverage / mo | Liability / mo | vs. 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $234 – $391 | $98 – $164 | — |
| 2023 | $222 – $371 | $97 – $162 | −5% |
| 2022 | $213 – $356 | $96 – $161 | −9% |
| 2021 | $204 – $340 | $94 – $157 | −13% |
| 2020 | $194 – $325 | $92 – $154 | −17% |
Model 3 vs. comparable vehicles
How the Model 3 stacks up against the vehicles shoppers most often cross-shop it with. Same coverage, same driver profile.
| Vehicle | Full coverage / mo | vs. Model 3 | Why it differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model 3 | $234 – $391 | — | Above-average claim severity |
| Tesla Model Y | $234 – $391 | — | Model Y's SUV body adds replacement cost over the 3. |
| BMW 3 Series | $234 – $391 | — | 3 Series repairs at any European shop; Teslas need certified facilities. |
| Mercedes-Benz C-Class | $234 – $391 | — | C-Class carries similar severity via import parts rather than battery risk. |
Model 3 insurance cost by South Carolina city
Charleston drivers pay about 10% above the state average while Greenville runs 4% below. City pricing follows claim frequency — dense-metro traffic and repair costs carry the surcharge.
| City | Full coverage / mo | vs. SC average |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $257 – $430 | +10% |
| North Charleston | $253 – $422 | +8% |
| Columbia | $246 – $411 | +5% |
| Myrtle Beach | $241 – $403 | +3% |
| Greenville | $225 – $375 | −4% |
Why Model 3 insurance costs what it costs
Minimum coverage on a 2024 Tesla Model 3 in South Carolina is the 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP package — bodily injury and property damage you cause, up to those caps. It does not pay to repair or replace this Model 3. South Carolina requires that package (or a listed alternative) to drive legally.
The Model 3 is a electric sedan in the luxury / EV MSRP tier, with above-average claim severity in our model and a 5-star NHTSA overall rating in our registry. It is not on the NICB top-100 most-stolen list in our registry, so theft is not a modeled comprehensive surcharge here.
On this Model 3 the modeled ladder in South Carolina runs $57 – $95 at minimum, $98 – $164 at higher liability, and $234 – $391 once comprehensive and collision attach — that last jump is the car showing up on the bill.
Charleston is modeled 10% above the SC average ($257 – $430/mo full coverage on this Model 3); Greenville is modeled 4% below at $225 – $375. Those city factors scale the same band as the hero — they are not a second rate file. South Carolina's notes cite a roughly 11% uninsured-driver share. UM/UIM is not listed as part of the state minimum here, so it is a separate decision — and the piece that typically pays your injuries when the other driver has no (or not enough) liability.
What the model knows about this Model 3
- NHTSA overall
- 5 starsFeeds the safety multiplier in our rate model. We do not publish IIHS/HLDI scores — they are not in this registry.
- NICB theft list
- Not in top 100No theft surcharge is applied for this vehicle in the model.
- MSRP tier
- luxury / EVReplacement-cost proxy. Higher tiers raise the full-coverage mid-point.
- Repair severity
- highClaim-severity proxy used only on comprehensive/collision, not on the liability floor.
Is minimum coverage the right tier for you?
- Title is free and clear on a Model 3 you can afford to replace without an insurer
- You accept that South Carolina's 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP caps may be below a serious injury claim
- Mileage and parking exposure are low enough that you are choosing to self-insure the car
- Anyone still financing or leasing the Model 3 — this tier is not what a lender typically accepts
- Anyone treating South Carolina's notes-cited ~11% uninsured share as someone else’s problem — minimum often omits UM
- Anyone whose assets exceed South Carolina's 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP caps
$500 vs $250 deductible on a Model 3
On a Model 3 this model prices a $250 deductible at $43–$70/mo above the $500 deductible. You save $250 per comprehensive or collision claim; you pay the extra premium every month whether you claim or not.
| Tier | Deductible | Monthly | Annual | In this file |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard full coverage | $500 | $234 – $391 | $2,808–$4,692 | Default first-party deductible in this model |
| Low-deductible full coverage | $250 | $277 – $461 | $3,324–$5,532 | Priced at 1.18× the $500 band in rates.ts |
Add-ons that are not automatic on minimum coverage
These are typical market add-ons, not South Carolina mandates and not priced in our rate model. Confirm each line on a quote.
- Roadside assistance
Useful on a electric sedan you drive far from a dealer network — towing, lockout, flat.
2024 vehicles may still have factory roadside; stacking two roadside products rarely helps.
- Medical payments (MedPay)
South Carolina does not require PIP, so MedPay is the usual small first-party medical add-on for occupants.
It is not a substitute for health insurance, and it is not required in this state.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist
South Carolina notes cite a roughly 11% uninsured-driver share, and UM is not in the listed minimum.
This is usually the highest-leverage add-on on a minimum or liability-only policy. Confirm reject/stack rules on the quote.
Carriers that commonly quote South Carolina
These are carriers we have real logos for and that commonly quote South Carolina. We do not publish a per-carrier Model 3 price — that would be a fabricated quote. The range on this page is the modeled band, not “from $X at GEICO.”
GEICOLowest base rate
ProgressiveSR-22 + tickets
State FarmBundling + agents
How to lower your Model 3 rate
- Raise your deductible to $1,000. On a Model 3 premium this is the single biggest lever you control directly.Saves ~$25–$47/mo
- Shop at least three carriers. Rates for the identical Model 3 profile differ by 2x or more between carriers in South Carolina.Saves up to $1,000+/yr
- Clean up billing. Paid-in-full, paperless, and autopay credits stack — small individually, real together, and none are applied unless you ask.Saves 3–8%
- Ask about EV and safety-tech discounts. Several carriers file credits for ADAS-equipped vehicles and garaged EVs — they are not applied automatically.Saves 3–10%
- Report your real mileage. Commuting under ~10,000 miles a year moves you down a rating band with most carriers, and pay-per-mile programs go further if you drive little.Saves 5–15%
- Bundle home or renters. Multi-policy is the largest standing discount most carriers file — typically 10–20% off the auto side.Saves 10–20%
About these numbers
Sources. Rate ranges are modeled from average premiums published by the South Carolina Department of Insurance and industry rate data, adjusted per vehicle using NICB theft rankings, NHTSA safety ratings, MSRP tier, and repair-severity data. They are estimates, not filed quotes.
Rating profile. Unless noted: a 35–55-year-old driver with a clean record, average credit where states allow it, 12,000 annual miles, and standard $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles. Your rate will differ — that is the point of quoting.
Ranges, not averages. We publish a band rather than a single average because the spread between carriers for the same driver routinely exceeds 2x — a lone number hides the gap that makes shopping worth your time.
What this model does not do. It does not publish age-band prices, ticket/DUI/credit surcharge tables, per-carrier quotes, J.D. Power ranks, NAIC complaint indexes, or IIHS/HLDI scores. Vehicle knobs are only the four in the rate model: MSRP tier, NICB theft rank, NHTSA stars, and repair-severity tier. The $250-deductible band is the $500 band × 1.18.
Tesla Model 3 insurance in South Carolina: FAQ
01Does South Carolina's 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP minimum pay to fix my Model 3?
No. That package is liability for other people. A damaged 2024 Tesla Model 3 is only paid for if you buy collision (crash) or comprehensive (non-crash). Those lines start at the full-coverage tier, which models at $234 – $391/mo on this page.
02What does South Carolina actually require to drive a Model 3?
South Carolina lists 25/50/25 plus $1,000 PIP as the liability floor. Full coverage is a market/lender product on top of that, modeled here at $234 – $391 for a 2024 Tesla Model 3.
03Should I add uninsured-motorist coverage on a Model 3 in South Carolina?
South Carolina's notes cite a roughly 11% uninsured-driver share, and UM/UIM is not listed as part of the state minimum. Collision (on full coverage) can still repair the Model 3 after a hit-and-run; UM/UIM is what typically pays your injuries when the other driver cannot.
04Does Model 3 insurance cost more in Charleston than in Greenville?
In this model, yes — Charleston is 10% vs the SC average ($257 – $430/mo full coverage) and Greenville is -4% ($225 – $375). Same 2024 Tesla Model 3, same driver profile; only the city factor changes.
05Does a 5-star NHTSA rating lower Model 3 insurance in South Carolina?
This model applies a small credit for a 5-star overall NHTSA rating (the Model 3 is a 5). It is one of four vehicle modifiers next to MSRP tier, theft rank, and repair tier — not a standalone “safety discount” we can quote as a percent off your bill.
