Slate Reality Check · Chicago, IL
Slate truck in Chicago, IL
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Chicago's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Chicago January (26°F), a Slate gets an estimated 158 miles on a charge, 23% less than its 205-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, when it averages 26°F). By May it's back to about 203. Charging at home at Illinois's average rate (19.2¢/kWh) costs about $74 a month for 38 miles a day, against $209 for a gas Ford Maverick on Chicago's gas. Chicago's grid (RFC West) is 19% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 60% less CO₂ than gas.
Estimated. Almost no one's driving a Slate yet, so these come from 1,548 real drives in other EVs at each temperature (and Recurrent's winter study below freezing), applied to the Slate's rating. They switch to real Slate drives as owners log them.
October rangeEstimated
200mi
At Chicago's typical October day, 55°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
156mi
January, 26°F · lows near 19°F
Home chargingEstimated
$74/mo
6.4¢ a mile at 19.2¢/kWh. Gas Ford Maverick: $209/mo
Chicago's grid
0.91lb CO₂/kWh
RFC West (EPA eGRID): 19% dirtier than the US, 60% less CO₂ than gas
Chicago, season by seasonEstimated
A Slate's range on a full charge, averaged over each season's months (30-year normal temperatures), at 35% highway.
Winter Dec–Feb · 29°F
20% below its 205-mile rating · coldest week 156 mi
164mi
Spring Mar–May · 51°F
4% below its rating
196mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
About its rating
204mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 55°FNow
3% below its rating
199mi
A Slate's range through a Chicago yearEstimated
Each month at Chicago's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 72 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Chicago, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 90 mi out and back, 180 mi one way (January: 142 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Chicago
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 158DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 0.6 mito the nearest
- ChargePoint91 in reach
- Tesla Supercharger63
- EVgo62
- EV Connect48
- Blink42
Road trips in October, about, by road: Fort Wayne (177 mi) and Grand Rapids (162 mi) one way on a charge; Indianapolis (204 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Chicago drivers ask
How far can a Slate go in a Chicago winter?
About 158 miles on a typical January day (26°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 16, 26°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 23% below its 205-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Chicago averages 72 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Slate in Chicago?
About $74 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Illinois's average home electricity rate of 19.2¢/kWh: about 6.4¢ a mile. A gas Ford Maverick on Chicago's average gas ($4.71 a gallon) costs about $209 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Slate on a regular 120 V outlet in Chicago?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 39 miles in 12 hours even in Chicago's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Chicago's grid?
Yes. Chicago's grid (RFC West) is 19% dirtier than the US average, but a Slate charged on it still makes 60% less CO₂ than a gas Ford Maverick.
Check it for your own address
Your street, your daily miles, any temperature on the knob.
Slate Reality Check near Chicago
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Chicago Midway Airport, IL; home electricity, EIA (Illinois, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (Chicago); 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.