Reality Check · Sacramento, CA
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Sacramento, CA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Sacramento's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Sacramento: at a typical January's 49°F, a Sierra EV gets an estimated 373 miles on a charge, within 4% of its 390-mile rating. Charging at home at California's average rate (33.6¢/kWh) costs about $214 a month for 38 miles a day, against $436 for a gas Sierra on California's gas. And Sacramento's grid (WECC California), 44% cleaner than the US average, makes it 81% 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 Sacramento's typical October day, 66°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
372mi
January, 49°F · lows near 40°F
Home chargingEstimated
$214/mo
18.5¢ a mile at 33.6¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $436/mo
Sacramento's grid
0.43lb CO₂/kWh
WECC California (EPA eGRID): 44% cleaner than the US, 81% less CO₂ than gas
Sacramento, 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 · 50°F
4% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 372 mi
375mi
Spring Mar–May · 62°F
About its rating
380mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 76°F
8% below its rating
358mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 65°FNow
4% below its rating
373mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Sacramento yearEstimated
Each month at Sacramento's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Sacramento, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 169 mi out and back, 338 mi one way (January: 336 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Sacramento
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 176DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 0.2 mito the nearest
- EVgo377 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger275
- ChargePoint252
- Electrify America159
- EVCS76
Road trips in October, about, by road: Bakersfield (324 mi) and Fresno (192 mi) one way on a charge; Oxnard (409 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Sacramento drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Sacramento winter?
Sacramento's winters are mild: about 373 miles on a typical January day (49°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around December 24, 48°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 5% of its 390-mile rating.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Sacramento?
About $214 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at California's average home electricity rate of 33.6¢/kWh: about 18.5¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on California's average gas ($6.03 a gallon) costs about $436 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Sacramento?
Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (28 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Sacramento's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Sacramento's grid (WECC California) is 44% cleaner than the US average, so a Sierra EV charged on it makes 81% 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 Sacramento
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Sacramento 5 Ese, CA; home electricity, EIA (California, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (California); 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.