Reality Check · Knoxville, TN
2025 Tesla Model Y in Knoxville, TN
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Knoxville's weather, grid and prices.
Knoxville's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (39°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 254 miles, 8% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around January 10, when it averages 39°F). By June it's back to about 293. Charging at home at Tennessee's average rate (13.7¢/kWh) costs about $52 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $200 an average small SUV costs on the Midwest's gas. Knoxville's grid (SERC Tennessee Valley) is 17% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 64% 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
268mi
At Knoxville's typical October day, 60°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
253mi
January, 39°F · lows near 30°F
Home chargingEstimated
$52/mo
4.5¢ a mile at 13.7¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $200/mo
Knoxville's grid
0.90lb CO₂/kWh
SERC Tennessee Valley (EPA eGRID): 17% dirtier than the US, 64% less CO₂ than gas
Knoxville, 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 · 41°F
7% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 253 mi
257mi
Spring Mar–May · 59°F
About its rating
270mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 77°F
6% above its rating
294mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 60°FNow
About its rating
272mi
A Model Y's range through a Knoxville yearEstimated
Each month at Knoxville's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Knoxville, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 121 mi out and back, 241 mi one way (January: 228 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Knoxville
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 19DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.6 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint175 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger104
- EVgo90
- EV Connect58
- Electrify America41
Road trips in October, about, by road: Charlotte (229 mi) and Louisville (223 mi) one way on a charge; Winston-Salem (258 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Knoxville drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Knoxville winter?
About 254 miles on a typical January day (39°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 10, 39°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 8% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Knoxville?
About $52 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Tennessee's average home electricity rate of 13.7¢/kWh: about 4.5¢ 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 Knoxville?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 44 miles in 12 hours even in Knoxville's coldest week, and about 46 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Knoxville's grid?
Yes. Knoxville's grid (SERC Tennessee Valley) is 17% dirtier than the US average, but a Model Y charged on it still makes 64% 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 Knoxville
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport, TN; home electricity, EIA (Tennessee, 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.