PlugLog

Reality Check · Winston-Salem, NC

2025 GMC Sierra EV in Winston-Salem, NC

Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Winston-Salem's weather, grid and prices.

Winter barely touches range in Winston-Salem: at a typical January's 40°F, a Sierra EV gets an estimated 357 miles on a charge, within 8% of its 390-mile rating. Charging at home at North Carolina's average rate (15.2¢/kWh) costs about $97 a month for 38 miles a day, against $279 for a gas Sierra on the Lower Atlantic's gas. And Winston-Salem's grid (SERC Virginia/Carolina), 23% cleaner than the US average, makes it 73% less CO₂ than gas.

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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 Winston-Salem's typical October day, 60°F · 35% highway

Winter lowEstimated

355mi

January, 40°F · lows near 31°F

Home chargingEstimated

$97/mo

8.4¢ a mile at 15.2¢/kWh. Gas Sierra: $279/mo

Winston-Salem's grid

0.59lb CO₂/kWh

SERC Virginia/Carolina (EPA eGRID): 23% cleaner than the US, 73% less CO₂ than gas

Winston-Salem, 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 · 42°F

7% below its 390-mile rating · coldest week 355 mi

363mi

Spring Mar–May · 59°F

3% below its rating

378mi

Summer Jun–Aug · 77°F

8% below its rating

358mi

Fall Sep–Nov · 60°FNow

4% below its rating

376mi

A Sierra EV's range through a Winston-Salem yearEstimated

Each month at Winston-Salem's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.

357
Jan40°
366
Feb43°
376
Mar50°
386
Apr59°
372
May68°
360
Jun75°
357
Jul79°
356
Aug77°
367
Sep71°
385
Now60°
374
Nov50°
366
Dec43°

How far it goes from Winston-Salem, on real roadsEstimated

In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 173 mi out and back, 347 mi one way (January: 321 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.

Fast charging around Winston-Salem

PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.

  • 32DC fast chargers within 25 mi
  • 2.3 mito the nearest
  • ChargePoint239 in reach
  • Tesla Supercharger227
  • EVgo168
  • EV Connect125
  • Electrify America61

Road trips in October, about, by road: Washington (329 mi) and Virginia Beach (300 mi) one way on a charge.

Questions Winston-Salem drivers ask

How far can a Sierra EV go in a Winston-Salem winter?

Winston-Salem's winters are mild: about 357 miles on a typical January day (40°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around January 11, 39°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 9% of its 390-mile rating.

How much does it cost to charge a Sierra EV in Winston-Salem?

About $97 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at North Carolina's average home electricity rate of 15.2¢/kWh: about 8.4¢ 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 Winston-Salem?

Not at 38 miles a day: a 120 V outlet adds only about 29 miles in 12 hours on an average day (27 in the coldest week). Plan on 240 V, which fills it from 10% in about 10 hours.

Is it greener to drive electric on Winston-Salem's grid?

Yes, more than most places. Winston-Salem'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 Winston-Salem

Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC; home electricity, EIA (North Carolina, 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.