Reality Check · Austin, TX
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Austin, TX
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Austin's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Austin: at a typical January's 52°F, a Sierra EV gets an estimated 378 miles on a charge, within 3% of its 390-mile rating. Summer is the harder season here: at August's 87°F average (highs near 98°F), air conditioning trims it to about 359 miles. Charging at home at Texas's average rate (15.9¢/kWh) costs about $102 a month for 38 miles a day, against $268 for a gas Sierra on Texas's gas. On Austin's grid (ERCOT All), about the US average, it makes 67% less CO₂ than gas.
Partly estimated. 2 of 5 temperature bands are from 116 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 390-mile rating. Each band switches to its own drives once it has 20 from 3 drivers.
October range
365mi
At Austin's typical October day, 72°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
377mi
January, 52°F · lows near 41°F
Home chargingEstimated
$102/mo
8.8¢ a mile at 15.9¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $268/mo
Austin's grid
0.73lb CO₂/kWh
ERCOT All (EPA eGRID): about the US average, 67% less CO₂ than gas
Austin, season by seasonEstimated
A Sierra EV's range on a full charge, averaged over each season's months (30-year normal temperatures), at 35% highway.
Winter Dec–Feb · 54°F
About its rating · coldest week 377 mi
380mi
Spring Mar–May · 70°F
5% below its rating
369mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 85°F
8% below its rating
359mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 71°FNow
5% below its rating
369mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Austin yearEstimated
Each month at Austin's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Austin, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 164 mi out and back, 329 mi one way (January: 340 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Austin
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 85DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.9 mito the nearest
- EVgo169 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger164
- ChargePoint116
- EV Connect66
- Shell Recharge48
Road trips in October, about, by road: Dallas (227 mi) and Houston (182 mi) one way on a charge; McAllen (354 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Austin drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Austin winter?
Austin's winters are mild: about 378 miles on a typical January day (52°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around January 2, 52°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 3% of its 390-mile rating. The harder season here is summer: about 359 miles in August, with the air conditioning on.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Austin?
About $102 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Texas's average home electricity rate of 15.9¢/kWh: about 8.8¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on Texas's average gas ($3.70 a gallon) costs about $268 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Austin?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 28 miles in 12 hours on an average day (29 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Austin's grid?
Yes. Austin's grid (ERCOT All) is about the US average, and a Sierra EV charged on it makes 67% less CO₂ than a gas Sierra.
Check it for your own address
Your street, your daily miles, any temperature on the knob.
Sierra EV Reality Check near Austin
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Austin-Camp Mabry, TX; home electricity, EIA (Texas, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Texas); 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.