Reality Check · Austin, TX
2025 Tesla Model Y in Austin, TX
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Austin's weather, grid and prices.
Austin's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (52°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 263 miles, 5% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around January 2, when it averages 52°F). By May it's back to about 295. Summer costs range here too: at August's 87°F average (highs near 98°F), air conditioning trims it to about 286 miles. Charging at home at Texas's average rate (15.9¢/kWh) costs about $59 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $179 an average small SUV costs on Texas's gas. On Austin's grid (ERCOT All), about the US average, it makes 71% less CO₂ than gas.
Partly estimated. 2 of 5 temperature bands are from 139 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 277-mile rating. Each band switches to its own drives once it has 20 from 3 drivers.
October range
287mi
At Austin's typical October day, 72°F · 35% highway
Winter low
263mi
January, 52°F · lows near 41°F
Home chargingEstimated
$59/mo
5.1¢ a mile at 15.9¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $179/mo
Austin's grid
0.73lb CO₂/kWh
ERCOT All (EPA eGRID): about the US average, 71% less CO₂ than gas
Austin, season by seasonEstimated
A Model Y's range on a full charge, averaged over each season's months (30-year normal temperatures), at 35% highway.
Winter Dec–Feb · 54°F
5% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 263 mi
264mi
Spring Mar–May · 70°F
About its rating
284mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 85°F
4% above its rating
288mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 71°FNow
About its rating
283mi
A Model Y's range through a Austin yearEstimated
Each month at Austin's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Austin, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 129 mi out and back, 258 mi one way (January: 237 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Austin
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 85DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.9 mito the nearest
- EVgo162 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger144
- ChargePoint108
- EV Connect49
- Shell Recharge47
Road trips in October, about, by road: Dallas (227 mi) and Houston (182 mi) one way on a charge; McAllen (354 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Austin drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Austin winter?
About 263 miles on a typical January day (52°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 2, 52°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 5% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Austin?
About $59 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Texas's average home electricity rate of 15.9¢/kWh: about 5.1¢ a mile. An average small SUV on Texas's average gas ($3.70 a gallon) costs about $179 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Austin?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 46 miles in 12 hours even in Austin's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Austin's grid?
Yes. Austin's grid (ERCOT All) is about the US average, and a Model Y charged on it makes 71% less CO₂ than an average small SUV.
Check it for your own address
Your street, your daily miles, any temperature on the knob.
Model Y Reality Check near Austin
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Austin-Camp Mabry, TX; home electricity, EIA (Texas, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Texas); 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.