Reality Check · Houston, TX
2026 Tesla Model Y in Houston, TX
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Houston's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Houston: at a typical January's 55°F, a Model Y gets an estimated 294 miles on a charge, within 4% of its 306-mile rating. Charging at home at Texas's average rate (15.9¢/kWh) costs about $57 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $179 an average small SUV costs on Houston's gas. On Houston's grid (ERCOT All), about the US average, it makes 72% less CO₂ than gas.
Partly estimated. 2 of 5 temperature bands are from 108 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 306-mile rating. Each band switches to its own drives once it has 20 from 3 drivers.
October range
297mi
At Houston's typical October day, 73°F · 35% highway
Winter low
294mi
January, 55°F · lows near 46°F
Home chargingEstimated
$57/mo
4.9¢ a mile at 15.9¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $179/mo
Houston's grid
0.73lb CO₂/kWh
ERCOT All (EPA eGRID): about the US average, 72% less CO₂ than gas
Houston, 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 · 57°F
4% below its 306-mile rating · coldest week 294 mi
294mi
Spring Mar–May · 71°F
About its rating
297mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 84°F
About its rating
307mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 72°FNow
About its rating
298mi
A Model Y's range through a Houston yearEstimated
Each month at Houston's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Houston, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 134 mi out and back, 268 mi one way (January: 265 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Houston
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 171DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.0 mito the nearest
- EVgo151 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger140
- ChargePoint111
- EV Connect48
- Shell Recharge45
Road trips in October, about, by road: San Antonio (237 mi) and Austin (182 mi) one way on a charge; Dallas (279 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Houston drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Houston winter?
Houston's winters are mild: about 294 miles on a typical January day (55°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around January 6, 55°F), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's within 4% of its 306-mile rating.
How much does it cost to charge a Model Y in Houston?
About $57 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Texas's average home electricity rate of 15.9¢/kWh: about 4.9¢ a mile. An average small SUV on Houston's average gas ($3.71 a gallon) costs about $179 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Houston?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 49 miles in 12 hours even in Houston's coldest week, and about 50 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Houston's grid?
Yes. Houston's grid (ERCOT All) 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 Houston
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Houston Hobby Airport, TX; home electricity, EIA (Texas, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Houston); 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.