Reality Check · Los Angeles, CA
2026 Tesla Model Y in Los Angeles, CA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Los Angeles's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in Los Angeles: at a typical January's 57°F, a Model Y gets an estimated 294 miles on a charge, within 4% of its 306-mile rating. Charging at home at California's average rate (33.6¢/kWh) costs about $122 a month for 38 miles a day, against $290 for an average small SUV on Los Angeles's gas. And Los Angeles's grid (WECC California), 44% cleaner than the US average, makes it 84% 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
295mi
At Los Angeles's typical October day, 66°F · 35% highway
Winter low
294mi
January, 57°F · lows near 47°F
Home chargingEstimated
$122/mo
10.6¢ a mile at 33.6¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $290/mo
Los Angeles's grid
0.43lb CO₂/kWh
WECC California (EPA eGRID): 44% cleaner than the US, 84% less CO₂ than gas
Los Angeles, 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 · 61°F
4% below its rating
294mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 68°F
3% below its rating
296mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 65°FNow
4% below its rating
295mi
A Model Y's range through a Los Angeles yearEstimated
Each month at Los Angeles's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from Los Angeles, on real roads
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 133 mi out and back, 266 mi one way (January: 264 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Los Angeles
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 440DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 0.5 mito the nearest
- EVgo391 in reach
- ChargePoint291
- Tesla Supercharger242
- Electrify America151
- EVCS93
Road trips in October, about, by road: Fresno (258 mi) and San Diego (139 mi) one way on a charge; Las Vegas (293 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Los Angeles drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a Los Angeles winter?
Los Angeles's winters are mild: about 294 miles on a typical January day (57°F) and about the same in the coldest week (around December 16, 57°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 Los Angeles?
About $122 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at California's average home electricity rate of 33.6¢/kWh: about 10.6¢ a mile. An average small SUV on Los Angeles's average gas ($6.02 a gallon) costs about $290 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in Los Angeles?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 49 miles in 12 hours even in Los Angeles's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Los Angeles's grid?
Yes, more than most places. Los Angeles's grid (WECC California) is 44% cleaner than the US average, so a Model Y charged on it makes 84% 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 Los Angeles
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Santa Monica Muni Airport, CA; home electricity, EIA (California, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Los Angeles); 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.