PlugLog

Reality Check · Chicago, IL

2024 Honda Prologue in Chicago, IL

Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Chicago's weather, grid and prices.

In a typical Chicago January (26°F), a Prologue gets an estimated 210 miles on a charge, 23% less than its 273-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, when it averages 26°F). By May it's back to about 271. Charging at home at Illinois's average rate (19.2¢/kWh) costs about $88 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $320 an average standard SUV costs on Chicago's gas. Chicago's grid (RFC West) is 19% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 69% less CO₂ than gas.

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Partly estimated. 1 of 5 temperature bands are from 83 real drives of this model; the rest come from 1,548 real drives in EVs at each temperature (and Recurrent's winter study below freezing), applied to its 273-mile rating. Each band switches to its own drives once it has 20 from 3 drivers.

October rangeEstimated

267mi

At Chicago's typical October day, 55°F · 35% highway

Winter lowEstimated

208mi

January, 26°F · lows near 19°F

Home chargingEstimated

$88/mo

7.6¢ a mile at 19.2¢/kWh. Average standard SUV: $320/mo

Chicago's grid

0.91lb CO₂/kWh

RFC West (EPA eGRID): 19% dirtier than the US, 69% less CO₂ than gas

Chicago, season by seasonEstimated

A Prologue's range on a full charge, averaged over each season's months (30-year normal temperatures), at 35% highway.

Winter Dec–Feb · 29°F

20% below its 273-mile rating · coldest week 208 mi

219mi

Spring Mar–May · 51°F

4% below its rating

261mi

Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F

About its rating

272mi

Fall Sep–Nov · 55°FNow

3% below its rating

264mi

A Prologue's range through a Chicago yearEstimated

Each month at Chicago's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 72 days a year average below freezing.

210
Jan26°
221
Feb30°
250
Mar40°
263
Apr51°
271
May62°
271
Jun72°
272
Jul76°
272
Aug75°
271
Sep68°
267
Now55°
255
Nov42°
226
Dec31°

How far it goes from Chicago, on real roadsEstimated

In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 120 mi out and back, 240 mi one way (January: 189 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.

Fast charging around Chicago

PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.

  • 158DC fast chargers within 25 mi
  • 0.6 mito the nearest
  • ChargePoint139 in reach
  • Tesla Supercharger90
  • EVgo75
  • EV Connect71
  • Blink60

Road trips in October, about, by road: Indianapolis (204 mi) and Fort Wayne (177 mi) one way on a charge; Toledo (265 mi) with one fast stop.

Questions Chicago drivers ask

How far can a Prologue go in a Chicago winter?

About 210 miles on a typical January day (26°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, 26°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 23% below its 273-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Chicago averages 72 days a year below freezing.

How much does it cost to charge a Prologue in Chicago?

About $88 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Illinois's average home electricity rate of 19.2¢/kWh: about 7.6¢ a mile. An average standard SUV on Chicago's average gas ($4.71 a gallon) costs about $320 a month for the same driving.

Can I charge a Prologue on a regular 120 V outlet in Chicago?

At 38 miles a day, most of the year: a 120 V outlet adds about 41 miles in 12 hours on an average day, but about 32 in the coldest week, so it can fall a little behind then. A 240 V outlet fills it from 10% in about 9 hours.

Is it greener to drive electric on Chicago's grid?

Yes. Chicago's grid (RFC West) is 19% dirtier than the US average, but a Prologue charged on it still makes 69% less CO₂ than an average standard SUV.

Check it for your own address

Your street, your daily miles, any temperature on the knob.

Prologue Reality Check near Chicago

Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Chicago Midway Airport, IL; home electricity, EIA (Illinois, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Chicago); grid CO₂, EPA eGRID 2023; cold-weather range, PlugLog's real drives and Recurrent's winter study (Nov 2025); chargers, Open Charge Map and PlugLog. Updated Oct 22, 2026.