Reality Check · Richmond, VA
2025 Tesla Model Y in Richmond, VA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Richmond's weather, grid and prices.
Richmond's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (38°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 252 miles, 9% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around January 14, when it averages 38°F). By June it's back to about 292. Charging at home at Virginia's average rate (17.5¢/kWh) costs about $67 a month for 38 miles a day, against $186 for an average small SUV on the Lower Atlantic's gas. And Richmond'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
268mi
At Richmond's typical October day, 60°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
251mi
January, 38°F · lows near 29°F
Home chargingEstimated
$67/mo
5.8¢ a mile at 17.5¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $186/mo
Richmond's grid
0.59lb CO₂/kWh
SERC Virginia/Carolina (EPA eGRID): 23% cleaner than the US, 76% less CO₂ than gas
Richmond, 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 · 40°F
8% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 251 mi
256mi
Spring Mar–May · 58°F
3% below its rating
269mi
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 Richmond yearEstimated
Each month at Richmond's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Richmond, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 120 mi out and back, 241 mi one way (January: 227 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Richmond
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 52DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.7 mito the nearest
- Tesla Supercharger214 in reach
- EVgo186
- ChargePoint170
- Electrify America78
- SWTCH - Charge Everywhere73
Road trips in October, about, by road: Harrisburg (240 mi) and Winston-Salem (229 mi) one way on a charge; Philadelphia (266 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Richmond drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Richmond winter?
About 252 miles on a typical January day (38°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 14, 38°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 9% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Richmond?
About $67 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Virginia's average home electricity rate of 17.5¢/kWh: about 5.8¢ 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 Richmond?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 43 miles in 12 hours even in Richmond's coldest week, and about 46 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Richmond's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Richmond'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 Richmond
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Richmond International Airport, VA; home electricity, EIA (Virginia, 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.