Reality Check · Columbia, SC
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Columbia, SC
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Columbia's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Columbia: at a typical January's 47°F, a Sierra EV gets an estimated 371 miles on a charge, within 5% of its 390-mile rating. Charging at home at South Carolina's average rate (15.5¢/kWh) costs about $99 a month for 38 miles a day, against $279 for a gas Sierra on the Lower Atlantic's gas. And Columbia's grid (SERC Virginia/Carolina), 23% cleaner than the US average, makes it 73% 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
374mi
At Columbia's typical October day, 66°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
371mi
January, 47°F · lows near 37°F
Home chargingEstimated
$99/mo
8.6¢ a mile at 15.5¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $279/mo
Columbia's grid
0.59lb CO₂/kWh
SERC Virginia/Carolina (EPA eGRID): 23% cleaner than the US, 73% less CO₂ than gas
Columbia, 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 · 49°F
4% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 371 mi
374mi
Spring Mar–May · 65°F
4% below its rating
374mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 82°F
8% below its rating
358mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 66°FNow
5% below its rating
371mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Columbia yearEstimated
Each month at Columbia's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Columbia, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 168 mi out and back, 337 mi one way (January: 334 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Columbia
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 26DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 3.5 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint337 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger229
- EVgo163
- EV Connect131
- Electrify America66
Road trips in October, about, by road: Jacksonville (325 mi) and Chattanooga (321 mi) one way on a charge.
Questions Columbia drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Columbia winter?
Columbia's winters are mild: about 371 miles on a typical January day (47°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around January 9, 47°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 5% of its 390-mile rating.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Columbia?
About $99 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at South Carolina's average home electricity rate of 15.5¢/kWh: about 8.6¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on the Lower Atlantic's average gas ($3.86 a gallon) costs about $279 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Columbia?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (28 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Columbia's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Columbia's grid (SERC Virginia/Carolina) is 23% cleaner than the US average, so a Sierra EV charged on it makes 73% 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 Columbia
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC; home electricity, EIA (South Carolina, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Lower Atlantic); 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.