Reality Check · San Diego, CA
2026 Tesla Model Y in San Diego, CA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for San Diego's weather, grid and prices.
Winter barely touches range in San Diego: 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 $291 for an average small SUV on California's gas. And San Diego'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
296mi
At San Diego's typical October day, 68°F · 35% highway
Winter low
294mi
January, 57°F · lows near 45°F
Home chargingEstimated
$122/mo
10.6¢ a mile at 33.6¢/kWh. Average small SUV: $291/mo
San Diego's grid
0.43lb CO₂/kWh
WECC California (EPA eGRID): 44% cleaner than the US, 84% less CO₂ than gas
San Diego, 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 · 62°F
4% below its rating
294mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 71°F
3% below its rating
297mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 67°FNow
3% below its rating
296mi
A Model Y's range through a San Diego yearEstimated
Each month at San Diego's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. No day of the year averages below freezing.
How far it goes from San Diego, 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 San Diego
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 186DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.1 mito the nearest
- EVgo389 in reach
- ChargePoint283
- Tesla Supercharger236
- Electrify America148
- EVCS88
Road trips in October, about, by road: Bakersfield (258 mi) and Oxnard (191 mi) one way on a charge; Las Vegas (324 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions San Diego drivers ask
How far can a Model Y go in a San Diego winter?
San Diego'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, 56°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 San Diego?
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 California's average gas ($6.03 a gallon) costs about $291 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Model Y on a regular 120 V outlet in San Diego?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 49 miles in 12 hours even in San Diego's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on San Diego's grid?
Yes, more than most places. San Diego'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 San Diego
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at San Diego Montgomery Fld, CA; home electricity, EIA (California, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (California); 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.