Reality Check · Columbia, SC
2025 Tesla Model Y in Columbia, SC
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Columbia's weather, grid and prices.
Columbia's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (47°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 261 miles, 6% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around January 9, when it averages 47°F). By May it's back to about 289. Charging at home at South Carolina's average rate (15.5¢/kWh) costs about $58 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $186 an average small SUV costs on the Lower Atlantic's gas. And Columbia's grid (SERC Virginia/Carolina), 23% cleaner than the US average, makes it 76% 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
278mi
At Columbia's typical October day, 66°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
261mi
January, 47°F · lows near 37°F
Home chargingEstimated
$58/mo
5.0¢ a mile at 15.5¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $186/mo
Columbia's grid
0.59lb CO₂/kWh
SERC Virginia/Carolina (EPA eGRID): 23% cleaner than the US, 76% less CO₂ than gas
Columbia, 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 · 49°F
6% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 261 mi
262mi
Spring Mar–May · 65°F
About its rating
277mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 82°F
5% above its rating
291mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 66°FNow
About its rating
279mi
A Model Y's range through a Columbia yearEstimated
Each month at Columbia's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Columbia, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 125 mi out and back, 250 mi one way (January: 235 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Columbia
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 26DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 3.5 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint224 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger159
- EVgo127
- EV Connect107
- Electrify America46
Road trips in October, about, by road: Raleigh (223 mi) and Durham (219 mi) one way on a charge; Atlanta (253 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Columbia drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Columbia winter?
About 261 miles on a typical January day (47°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 9, 47°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 Columbia?
About $58 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at South Carolina's average home electricity rate of 15.5¢/kWh: about 5.0¢ a mile. An average small SUV on the Lower Atlantic's average gas ($3.86 a gallon) costs about $186 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Columbia?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 45 miles in 12 hours even in Columbia's coldest week, and about 48 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Columbia's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Columbia's grid (SERC Virginia/Carolina) is 23% cleaner than the US average, so a Model Y charged on it makes 76% 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 Columbia
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC; home electricity, EIA (South 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.