Reality Check · Richmond, VA
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Richmond, VA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Richmond's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Richmond: at a typical January's 38°F, a Sierra EV gets an estimated 349 miles on a charge, 10% under its 390-mile rating, but about what it gets all year. Charging at home at Virginia's average rate (17.5¢/kWh) costs about $113 a month for 38 miles a day, against $279 for a gas Sierra on the Lower Atlantic's gas. And Richmond'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
385mi
At Richmond's typical October day, 60°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
348mi
January, 38°F · lows near 29°F
Home chargingEstimated
$113/mo
9.8¢ a mile at 17.5¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $279/mo
Richmond's grid
0.59lb CO₂/kWh
SERC Virginia/Carolina (EPA eGRID): 23% cleaner than the US, 73% less CO₂ than gas
Richmond, 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 · 40°F
8% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 348 mi
359mi
Spring Mar–May · 58°F
3% below its rating
377mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 77°F
8% below its rating
358mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 60°FNow
4% below its rating
375mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Richmond yearEstimated
Each month at Richmond's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Richmond, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 173 mi out and back, 346 mi one way (January: 314 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Richmond
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 52DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.7 mito the nearest
- Tesla Supercharger310 in reach
- ChargePoint261
- EVgo237
- Electrify America111
- Blink101
Road trips in October, about, by road: Charlotte (308 mi) and Pittsburgh (302 mi) one way on a charge.
Questions Richmond drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Richmond winter?
Richmond's winters are mild: about 349 miles on a typical January day (38°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around January 14, 38°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 11% of its 390-mile rating.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Richmond?
About $113 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Virginia's average home electricity rate of 17.5¢/kWh: about 9.8¢ 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 Richmond?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (26 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Richmond's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Richmond'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 Richmond
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Richmond International Airport, VA; home electricity, EIA (Virginia, 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.