Reality Check · Des Moines, IA
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Des Moines, IA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Des Moines's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Des Moines January (22°F), a Sierra EV gets an estimated 265 miles on a charge, 32% less than its 390-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, when it averages 22°F). By April it's back to about 377. Charging at home at Iowa's average rate (16.0¢/kWh) costs about $111 a month for 38 miles a day, against $300 for a gas Sierra on the Midwest's gas. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 55% 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 Des Moines's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
263mi
January, 22°F · lows near 13°F
Home chargingEstimated
$111/mo
9.6¢ a mile at 16.0¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $300/mo
Des Moines's grid
0.92lb CO₂/kWh
MRO West (EPA eGRID): 20% dirtier than the US, 55% less CO₂ than gas
Des Moines, 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 · 26°F
28% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 263 mi
282mi
Spring Mar–May · 51°F
5% below its rating
371mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
7% below its rating
361mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
5% below its rating
369mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Des Moines yearEstimated
Each month at Des Moines's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 87 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Des Moines, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 171 mi out and back, 341 mi one way (January: 238 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Des Moines
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 47DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.2 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint76 in reach
- Chargelab54
- Shell Recharge43
- Blink35
- Tesla Supercharger32
Road trips in October, about, by road: St. Louis (337 mi) and Madison (297 mi) one way on a charge; Milwaukee (383 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Des Moines drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Des Moines winter?
About 265 miles on a typical January day (22°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, 22°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 32% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Des Moines averages 87 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Des Moines?
About $111 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Iowa's average home electricity rate of 16.0¢/kWh: about 9.6¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on the Midwest's average gas ($4.14 a gallon) costs about $300 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Des Moines?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (20 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Des Moines's grid?
Yes. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but a Sierra EV charged on it still makes 55% 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 Des Moines
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Des Moines International Airport, IA; home electricity, EIA (Iowa, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Midwest); 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.