Reality Check · Denver, CO
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Denver, CO
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Denver's weather, grid and prices.
Denver'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 19, when it averages 31°F). By May it's back to about 385. Charging at home at Colorado's average rate (17.0¢/kWh) costs about $113 a month for 38 miles a day, against $307 for a gas Sierra on Denver's gas. Denver's grid (WECC Rockies) is 35% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 51% 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
377mi
At Denver's typical October day, 51°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
310mi
January, 32°F; Dec 19–25 at 31°F · lows near 17°F
Home chargingEstimated
$113/mo
9.8¢ a mile at 17.0¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $307/mo
Denver's grid
1.04lb CO₂/kWh
WECC Rockies (EPA eGRID): 35% dirtier than the US, 51% less CO₂ than gas
Denver, 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 · 32°F
18% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 310 mi
318mi
Spring Mar–May · 49°F
4% below its rating
374mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 72°F
6% below its rating
365mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 52°FNow
5% below its rating
371mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Denver yearEstimated
Each month at Denver's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 29 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Denver, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 169 mi out and back, 339 mi one way (January: 285 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Denver
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 166DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 0.8 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint149 in reach
- EVgo55
- Electrify America53
- Tesla Supercharger51
- EV Connect31
Road trips in October, about, by road: Colorado Springs (78 mi) one way on a charge; Albuquerque (420 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Denver drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Denver winter?
About 317 miles on a typical January day (32°F) and about 310 in the coldest week of the year (around December 19, 31°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 19–20% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Denver averages 29 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Denver?
About $113 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Colorado's average home electricity rate of 17.0¢/kWh: about 9.8¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on Denver's average gas ($4.24 a gallon) costs about $307 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Denver?
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 Denver's grid?
Yes. Denver's grid (WECC Rockies) is 35% dirtier than the US average, but a Sierra EV charged on it still makes 51% 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 Denver
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Denver-Stapleton, CO; home electricity, EIA (Colorado, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Denver); 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.