Reality Check · Milwaukee, WI
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Milwaukee, WI
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Milwaukee's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Milwaukee January (24°F), a Sierra EV gets an estimated 274 miles on a charge, 30% less than its 390-mile rating, and about 271 miles in the coldest week of the year (around January 19, when it averages 23°F). By May it's back to about 384. Charging at home at Wisconsin's average rate (19.1¢/kWh) costs about $131 a month for 38 miles a day, against $300 for a gas Sierra on the Midwest's gas. Milwaukee'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
379mi
At Milwaukee's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
271mi
January, 24°F; Jan 19–25 at 23°F · lows near 16°F
Home chargingEstimated
$131/mo
11.3¢ a mile at 19.1¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $300/mo
Milwaukee's grid
0.91lb CO₂/kWh
RFC West (EPA eGRID): 19% dirtier than the US, 56% less CO₂ than gas
Milwaukee, 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 · 27°F
26% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 271 mi
289mi
Spring Mar–May · 47°F
7% below its rating
365mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 71°F
6% below its rating
366mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
5% below its rating
372mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Milwaukee yearEstimated
Each month at Milwaukee's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 85 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Milwaukee, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 170 mi out and back, 341 mi one way (January: 246 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Milwaukee
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 50DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.2 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint184 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger95
- EV Connect86
- Red E Charge76
- EVgo71
Road trips in October, about, by road: Detroit (314 mi) and Indianapolis (307 mi) one way on a charge; Minneapolis (368 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Milwaukee drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Milwaukee winter?
About 274 miles on a typical January day (24°F) and about 271 in the coldest week of the year (around January 19, 23°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 30–31% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Milwaukee averages 85 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Milwaukee?
About $131 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Wisconsin's average home electricity rate of 19.1¢/kWh: about 11.3¢ 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 Milwaukee?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 28 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 Milwaukee's grid?
Yes. Milwaukee'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 Milwaukee
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Milwaukee Mitchell 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.