Reality Check · Birmingham, AL
2025 Tesla Model Y in Birmingham, AL
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Birmingham's weather, grid and prices.
Birmingham's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (45°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 260 miles, 6% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around January 13, when it averages 44°F). By May it's back to about 287. Charging at home at Alabama's average rate (16.4¢/kWh) costs about $62 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $182 an average small SUV costs on the Gulf Coast's gas. Birmingham's grid (SERC South) is 10% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 66% 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
276mi
At Birmingham's typical October day, 65°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
260mi
January, 45°F · lows near 35°F
Home chargingEstimated
$62/mo
5.3¢ a mile at 16.4¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $182/mo
Birmingham's grid
0.84lb CO₂/kWh
SERC South (EPA eGRID): 10% dirtier than the US, 66% less CO₂ than gas
Birmingham, 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 · 47°F
6% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 260 mi
261mi
Spring Mar–May · 64°F
About its rating
275mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 80°F
6% above its rating
293mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 65°FNow
About its rating
278mi
A Model Y's range through a Birmingham yearEstimated
Each month at Birmingham's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Birmingham, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 124 mi out and back, 248 mi one way (January: 234 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Birmingham
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 37DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.1 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint246 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger109
- EVgo90
- Electrify America41
- EV Connect37
Road trips in October, about, by road: Nashville (228 mi) and Chattanooga (173 mi) one way on a charge; Memphis (264 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Birmingham drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Birmingham winter?
About 260 miles on a typical January day (45°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 13, 44°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 6% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Birmingham?
About $62 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Alabama's average home electricity rate of 16.4¢/kWh: about 5.3¢ a mile. An average small SUV on the Gulf Coast's average gas ($3.78 a gallon) costs about $182 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Birmingham?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 45 miles in 12 hours even in Birmingham's coldest week, and about 47 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Birmingham's grid?
Yes. Birmingham's grid (SERC South) is 10% dirtier than the US average, but a Model Y charged on it still makes 66% 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 Birmingham
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Birmingham Airport, AL; home electricity, EIA (Alabama, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Gulf Coast); 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.