Reality Check · Des Moines, IA
2025 Tesla Model Y in Des Moines, IA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Des Moines's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Des Moines January (22°F), a Model Y gets an estimated 214 miles on a charge, 23% less than its 277-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, when it averages 22°F). By June it's back to about 288. Charging at home at Iowa's average rate (16.0¢/kWh) costs about $64 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $200 an average small SUV costs on the Midwest's gas. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 61% 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
264mi
At Des Moines's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
213mi
January, 22°F · lows near 13°F
Home chargingEstimated
$64/mo
5.6¢ a mile at 16.0¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $200/mo
Des Moines's grid
0.92lb CO₂/kWh
MRO West (EPA eGRID): 20% dirtier than the US, 61% less CO₂ than gas
Des Moines, 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 · 26°F
20% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 213 mi
222mi
Spring Mar–May · 51°F
5% below its rating
263mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
5% above its rating
291mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
4% below its rating
265mi
A Model Y's range through a Des Moines yearEstimated
Each month at Des Moines's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 87 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Des Moines, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 119 mi out and back, 237 mi one way (January: 192 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Des Moines
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 47DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.2 mito the nearest
- Chargelab51 in reach
- ChargePoint35
- Shell Recharge32
- EV Connect20
- Blink16
Road trips in October, about, by road: Kansas City (220 mi) and Omaha (160 mi) one way on a charge; Minneapolis (294 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Des Moines drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Des Moines winter?
About 214 miles on a typical January day (22°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, 22°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 23% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Des Moines averages 87 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Des Moines?
About $64 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Iowa's average home electricity rate of 16.0¢/kWh: about 5.6¢ a mile. An average small SUV on the Midwest's average gas ($4.14 a gallon) costs about $200 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Des Moines?
At 38 miles a day, most of the year: a 120 V outlet adds about 45 miles in 12 hours on an average day, but about 37 in the coldest week, so it can fall a little behind then. A 240 V outlet fills it from 10% in about 11 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Des Moines's grid?
Yes. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but a Model Y charged on it still makes 61% 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 Des Moines
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Des Moines International Airport, IA; home electricity, EIA (Iowa, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Midwest); 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.