Reality Check · Madison, WI
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Madison, WI
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Madison's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Madison January (19°F), a Sierra EV gets an estimated 250 miles on a charge, 36% less than its 390-mile rating, and about 246 miles in the coldest week of the year (around January 18, when it averages 19°F). By May it's back to about 385. Charging at home at Wisconsin's average rate (19.1¢/kWh) costs about $135 a month for 38 miles a day, against $300 for a gas Sierra on the Midwest's gas. Madison's grid (MRO East) is 82% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 30% 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
375mi
At Madison's typical October day, 50°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
246mi
January, 19°F; Jan 18–24 at 19°F · lows near 11°F
Home chargingEstimated
$135/mo
11.7¢ a mile at 19.1¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $300/mo
Madison's grid
1.40lb CO₂/kWh
MRO East (EPA eGRID): 82% dirtier than the US, 30% less CO₂ than gas
Madison, 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 · 23°F
32% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 246 mi
266mi
Spring Mar–May · 46°F
7% below its rating
361mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 70°F
6% below its rating
368mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 49°FNow
6% below its rating
366mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Madison yearEstimated
Each month at Madison's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 103 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Madison, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 169 mi out and back, 337 mi one way (January: 225 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Madison
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 26DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 2.8 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint119 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger80
- EV Connect68
- EVgo66
- Blink65
Road trips in October, about, by road: Fort Wayne (324 mi) and Des Moines (297 mi) one way on a charge; Indianapolis (356 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Madison drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Madison winter?
About 250 miles on a typical January day (19°F) and about 246 in the coldest week of the year (around January 18, 19°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 36–37% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Madison averages 103 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Madison?
About $135 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Wisconsin's average home electricity rate of 19.1¢/kWh: about 11.7¢ 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 Madison?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 28 miles in 12 hours on an average day (19 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Madison's grid?
Yes. Madison's grid (MRO East) is 82% dirtier than the US average, but a Sierra EV charged on it still makes 30% 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 Madison
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Madison Dane Rgnl Airport, WI; home electricity, EIA (Wisconsin, 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.