Reality Check · Chicago, IL
2025 GMC Sierra EV 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 Sierra EV gets an estimated 284 miles on a charge, 27% less than its 390-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, when it averages 26°F). By April it's back to about 376. Charging at home at Illinois's average rate (19.2¢/kWh) costs about $130 a month for 38 miles a day, against $340 for a gas Sierra on Chicago's gas. Chicago's grid (RFC West) is 19% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 56% 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
381mi
At Chicago's typical October day, 55°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
282mi
January, 26°F · lows near 19°F
Home chargingEstimated
$130/mo
11.3¢ a mile at 19.2¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $340/mo
Chicago's grid
0.91lb CO₂/kWh
RFC West (EPA eGRID): 19% dirtier than the US, 56% less CO₂ than gas
Chicago, 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 · 29°F
23% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 282 mi
300mi
Spring Mar–May · 51°F
5% below its rating
371mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
7% below its rating
361mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 55°FNow
4% below its rating
373mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Chicago yearEstimated
Each month at Chicago's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 72 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Chicago, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 172 mi out and back, 343 mi one way (January: 256 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
- ChargePoint211 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger128
- EV Connect117
- EVgo98
- Blink89
Road trips in October, about, by road: St. Louis (324 mi) and Cincinnati (313 mi) one way on a charge; Louisville (345 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Chicago drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Chicago winter?
About 284 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 27% below its 390-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 Sierra EV in Chicago?
About $130 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Illinois's average home electricity rate of 19.2¢/kWh: about 11.3¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on Chicago's average gas ($4.71 a gallon) costs about $340 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Chicago?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (21 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 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 Sierra EV charged on it still makes 56% 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 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.