Reality Check · Boise, ID
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Boise, ID
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Boise's weather, grid and prices.
Boise's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (32°F) a Sierra EV gets an estimated 317 miles, 19% under its 390-mile rating, and about 310 in the coldest week (around December 24, when it averages 31°F). By April it's back to about 376. Charging at home at Idaho's average rate (13.7¢/kWh) costs about $91 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $323 a gas Sierra costs on the Rocky Mountains's gas. And Boise's grid (WECC Northwest), 18% cleaner than the US average, makes it 71% 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 rangeEstimated
379mi
At Boise's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
310mi
January, 32°F; Dec 24–30 at 31°F · lows near 24°F
Home chargingEstimated
$91/mo
7.8¢ a mile at 13.7¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $323/mo
Boise's grid
0.63lb CO₂/kWh
WECC Northwest (EPA eGRID): 18% cleaner than the US, 71% less CO₂ than gas
Boise, 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 · 34°F
16% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 310 mi
326mi
Spring Mar–May · 52°F
3% below its rating
377mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
7% below its rating
362mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
5% below its rating
371mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Boise yearEstimated
Each month at Boise's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 33 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Boise, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 171 mi out and back, 341 mi one way (January: 285 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Boise
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 16DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 2.2 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint33 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger16
- EVgo13
- Electrify America11
- EV Connect6
Road trips in October, about, by road: Ogden (340 mi) one way on a charge; Spokane (359 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Boise drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Boise winter?
About 317 miles on a typical January day (32°F) and about 310 in the coldest week of the year (around December 24, 31°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 19–21% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Boise averages 33 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Boise?
About $91 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Idaho's average home electricity rate of 13.7¢/kWh: about 7.8¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on the Rocky Mountains's average gas ($4.47 a gallon) costs about $323 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Boise?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (24 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Boise's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Boise's grid (WECC Northwest) is 18% cleaner than the US average, so a Sierra EV charged on it makes 71% 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 Boise
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Boise Air Terminal, ID; home electricity, EIA (Idaho, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Rocky Mountains); 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.