Reality Check · Washington, DC
2025 GMC Sierra EV in Washington, DC
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Washington's weather, grid and prices.
Washington's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (38°F) a Sierra EV gets an estimated 345 miles, 12% under its 390-mile rating, and about 342 in the coldest week (around January 16, when it averages 37°F). By April it's back to about 385. Charging at home at Washington, DC's average rate (25.2¢/kWh) costs about $163 a month for 38 miles a day, against $312 for a gas Sierra on the Central Atlantic's gas. And Washington's grid (RFC East), 22% 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
384mi
At Washington's typical October day, 61°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
342mi
January, 38°F; Jan 16–22 at 37°F · lows near 30°F
Home chargingEstimated
$163/mo
14.1¢ a mile at 25.2¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $312/mo
Washington's grid
0.60lb CO₂/kWh
RFC East (EPA eGRID): 22% cleaner than the US, 73% less CO₂ than gas
Washington, 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
9% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 342 mi
356mi
Spring Mar–May · 58°F
3% below its rating
377mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 79°F
8% below its rating
357mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 61°FNow
4% below its rating
374mi
A Sierra EV's range through a Washington yearEstimated
Each month at Washington's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Washington, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 173 mi out and back, 345 mi one way (January: 311 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Washington
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 241DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 0.5 mito the nearest
- Tesla Supercharger315 in reach
- ChargePoint275
- EVgo251
- Electrify America116
- Blink108
Road trips in October, about, by road: Poughkeepsie (316 mi) and Greensboro (310 mi) one way on a charge.
Questions Washington drivers ask
How far can a Sierra EV go in a Washington winter?
About 345 miles on a typical January day (38°F) and about 342 in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, 37°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 12% below its 390-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Washington?
About $163 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Washington, DC's average home electricity rate of 25.2¢/kWh: about 14.1¢ a mile. A gas Sierra on the Central Atlantic's average gas ($4.31 a gallon) costs about $312 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Sierra EV on a regular 120 V outlet in Washington?
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 Washington's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Washington's grid (RFC East) is 22% 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 Washington
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Washington Reagan Airport, VA; home electricity, EIA (Washington, DC, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Central 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.