Reality Check · Tucson, AZ
2025 Tesla Model Y in Tucson, AZ
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Tucson's weather, grid and prices.
Tucson's winters are cool rather than cold: on a typical January day (54°F) a Model Y gets an estimated 264 miles, 5% under its 277-mile rating, about the same as in the coldest week (around December 20, when it averages 52°F). By May it's back to about 295. Summer costs range here too: at July's 88°F average (highs near 100°F), air conditioning trims it to about 285 miles. Charging at home at Arizona's average rate (15.4¢/kWh) costs about $57 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $241 an average small SUV costs on the West Coast's gas. On Tucson's grid (WECC Southwest), about the US average, it makes 72% 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
288mi
At Tucson's typical October day, 73°F · 35% highway
Winter low
263mi
January, 54°F · lows near 40°F
Home chargingEstimated
$57/mo
5.0¢ a mile at 15.4¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $241/mo
Tucson's grid
0.70lb CO₂/kWh
WECC Southwest (EPA eGRID): about the US average, 72% less CO₂ than gas
Tucson, 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 · 54°F
5% below its 277-mile rating · coldest week 263 mi
264mi
Spring Mar–May · 69°F
About its rating
282mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 87°F
3% above its rating
286mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 72°FNow
About its rating
283mi
A Model Y's range through a Tucson yearEstimated
Each month at Tucson's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Tucson, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 130 mi out and back, 260 mi one way (January: 237 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Tucson
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 29DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 3.4 mito the nearest
- Tesla Supercharger34 in reach
- EVgo30
- ChargePoint27
- Electrify America25
- Blink16
Road trips in October, about, by road: Phoenix (151 mi) one way on a charge; El Paso (326 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Tucson drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Tucson winter?
About 264 miles on a typical January day (54°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around December 20, 52°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 5% below its 277-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Tucson?
About $57 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Arizona's average home electricity rate of 15.4¢/kWh: about 5.0¢ a mile. An average small SUV on the West Coast's average gas ($5.01 a gallon) costs about $241 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Tucson?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 46 miles in 12 hours even in Tucson's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Tucson's grid?
Yes. Tucson's grid (WECC Southwest) is about the US average, and a Model Y charged on it makes 72% 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 Tucson
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Tucson International Airport, AZ; home electricity, EIA (Arizona, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the West 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.