EV Lease Mileage Limits and Overage Fees by Brand
EV lease mileage by brand: Tesla and Polestar charge $0.25 a mile over, Rivian $0.30, Hyundai and Kia $0.20. Mileage plans, buying miles and buyout rules.
Quick answer
What are EV lease mileage limits? The same as for gas cars: set in your lease. Among EV makers that publish terms, Polestar offers 7,500 to 15,000 miles a year and charges $0.25 per extra mile, Tesla charges $0.25 and sells extra miles in its app, and Rivian charges $0.30.
EV lease overage rates and mileage terms by brand
An electric car lease has the same mileage mechanics as any other lease: an allowance written into the contract, and a per-mile charge at turn-in for every mile over it. What differs is how much each EV maker publishes. These are the terms the lenders state on their own pages, re-checked on 2026-10-21:
| Brand and lender | Excess rate | Mileage plans | Buying extra miles | Buying the car at lease end |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla (Tesla Finance; Tesla Lease Trust leases) | $0.25 per mile | Chosen when you apply; no list published | In the Tesla app, up to 20,000 miles per purchase, at least three months before maturity | Allowed |
| Rivian (Rivian Financial Services) | $0.30 per mile | Not covered here | Not covered here | No excess mileage fees if you buy |
| Polestar (Volvo Car Financial Services U.S., d/b/a Polestar Financial Services) | $0.25 per mile | As few as 7,500, standard up to 10,000, as many as 15,000 | Not covered here | Any time during or at the end of the lease |
| Hyundai (Hyundai Motor Finance) | $0.20 per mile | Not covered here | Not covered here | Set in your lease |
| Kia (Kia Finance America) | $0.20 per mile | Not covered here | Not covered here | Set in your lease |
| Ford EVs (Ford Credit) | Not covered here | Not covered here | Not covered here | EVs may not be eligible for purchase |
| Chevrolet and other GM EVs (GM Financial) | Set in your lease | Not covered here | Not covered here | Buying avoids excess wear and mileage charges |
Hyundai Motor Finance and Kia Finance America publish their $.20-per-mile rate in their general lease-end kits; neither kit names separate terms for electric models. GM Financial bills excess mileage at the rate in your agreement.
Do EV leases come with lower mileage limits?
Not as a rule, but check the default. Polestar's standard plan is up to 10,000 miles a year, below the 12,000 or 15,000 miles the Federal Reserve says most leases allow, so a driver who takes the standard plan without thinking may need the 15,000-mile plan instead. Tesla has you choose an annual mileage when you apply. Everywhere else, the allowance is whatever you agree at signing, and the Federal Reserve notes you can negotiate limits other than the common 10,000, 12,000 and 15,000.
Cheaper charging does not make miles free: every mile still counts against the allowance in your lease.
Buying extra miles on an EV lease
Of the EV makers in this table, only Tesla's pages describe a way to buy miles during the lease: if your lessor is Tesla Lease Trust, you can buy up to 20,000 miles per transaction in the Tesla app, at least three months before the original maturity date. Certified Pre-Owned leases do not qualify, and a mileage purchase cannot be combined with a lease extension. Tesla does not publish a per-mile price; the app shows the amount before you confirm. For other EVs, negotiate the allowance at signing, which the Federal Reserve says often costs less than paying for excess miles at the end.
Buying out an EV at lease end
Buying the car removes the mileage charge where your lease allows a purchase: the Federal Reserve says you are not responsible for excess mileage charges if you buy your leased vehicle at lease end, and Rivian says no excess mileage fees apply if you purchase. Tesla says you can purchase at the end of the lease, and Polestar at any time during or at the end. Ford Credit and Lincoln Automotive Financial Services, however, say electric vehicles may not be eligible for purchase at lease end, so read your agreement before you plan on a buyout. Tesla also notes that lease transfers have not been available since November 27, 2024.
EV items to return at turn-in
Stellantis Financial Services' lease-end checklist asks you to return the charging cables with electric vehicles. If your EV came with a mobile charging cable, keep it with the car so it is not billed as missing equipment.
Fuel savings and mileage go together
Lower running costs can tempt EV drivers to drive more, but the lease allowance does not change with the fuel. If you are weighing an EV lease, size the allowance to your real driving and track it through the term. LeaseMiles tracks your odometer against your allowance and can estimate your EV charging savings in the same app.
LeaseMiles Team
We build LeaseMiles, a free iOS app for tracking mileage on a leased car. We write about lease mileage allowances, excess-mileage charges, EV running costs and lease-end, and we cite a primary source for every number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tesla says miles driven beyond the annual amount in your lease agreement may incur fees at a rate of $0.25 per mile. Your lease agreement, which is in the Documents section of the Tesla app, states the terms that apply to you.
If your lessor is Tesla Lease Trust, Tesla says you may be able to buy additional mileage in the Tesla app, up to 20,000 miles per transaction. Purchases must be made at least three months before the original maturity date, Certified Pre-Owned leases do not qualify, and a mileage purchase cannot be combined with a lease extension.
Rivian says excess mileage beyond your limit is billed at 30 cents per mile, as indicated on your lease agreement, and that no excess mileage fees apply if you purchase the vehicle at the end of the lease term.
Polestar says its standard plan is up to 10,000 miles a year, with a low-mileage plan of as few as 7,500 and a high-mileage plan of as many as 15,000. Miles beyond your plan are charged at $0.25 each at the end of the term.
Check your lease. Tesla says you can buy your leased vehicle at the end, and Polestar says you can buy at any time during or at the end of the lease. Ford Credit and Lincoln Automotive Financial Services say electric vehicles may not be eligible for purchase at lease end. Where you can buy, the Federal Reserve says you are not responsible for excess mileage charges.
Sources
- Tesla, Leasing your vehicle
- Rivian, Exceeding your annual mileage
- Polestar, Private lease
- Hyundai Motor Finance, Lease-end kit (PDF)
- Kia Finance America, Lease-end brochure (PDF)
- Ford Credit, Exceeding your mileage allowance
- GM Financial, Lease-end FAQ
- Stellantis Financial Services, End of Lease Guide (PDF)
- Federal Reserve, End-of-lease costs: excess mileage
- Federal Reserve, What you can negotiate
- Federal Reserve, Purchase option at lease end
- Ford Credit, Lease end
- Lincoln Automotive Financial Services, Lease end
- Federal Reserve, Leasing FAQ
Tools and brand pages
Track Your Lease Mileage with LeaseMiles
Stay on top of your lease mileage, avoid overage fees, and save money. Download LeaseMiles free on the App Store.
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