Slate Reality Check · Des Moines, IA
Slate truck in Des Moines, IA
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Des Moines's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Des Moines January (22°F), a Slate gets an estimated 149 miles on a charge, 27% less than its 205-mile rating, and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, when it averages 22°F). By April it's back to about 198. Charging at home at Iowa's average rate (16.0¢/kWh) costs about $63 a month for 38 miles a day, about a third of the $184 a gas Ford Maverick costs on the Midwest's gas. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 59% 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
199mi
At Des Moines's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
148mi
January, 22°F · lows near 13°F
Home chargingEstimated
$63/mo
5.4¢ a mile at 16.0¢/kWh. Gas Ford Maverick: $184/mo
Des Moines's grid
0.92lb CO₂/kWh
MRO West (EPA eGRID): 20% dirtier than the US, 59% less CO₂ than gas
Des Moines, 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 · 26°F
24% below its 205-mile rating · coldest week 148 mi
157mi
Spring Mar–May · 51°F
4% below its rating
196mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 74°F
About its rating
204mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
4% below its rating
197mi
A Slate's range through a Des Moines yearEstimated
Each month at Des Moines's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 87 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Des Moines, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 90 mi out and back, 179 mi one way (January: 134 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Des Moines
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 47DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.2 mito the nearest
- Chargelab42 in reach
- Shell Recharge17
- ChargePoint11
- EV Connect8
- Tesla Supercharger7
Road trips in October, about, by road: Omaha (160 mi) one way on a charge; Kansas City (220 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Des Moines drivers ask
How far can a Slate go in a Des Moines winter?
About 149 miles on a typical January day (22°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 15, 22°F on average), estimated from real EV drives at those temperatures. That's 27% below its 205-mile rating, mostly from heating the cabin and the battery. Des Moines averages 87 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Slate in Des Moines?
About $63 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Iowa's average home electricity rate of 16.0¢/kWh: about 5.4¢ a mile. A gas Ford Maverick on the Midwest's average gas ($4.14 a gallon) costs about $184 a month for the same driving.
Can I charge a Slate on a regular 120 V outlet in Des Moines?
At 38 miles a day, most of the year: a 120 V outlet adds about 49 miles in 12 hours on an average day, but about 37 in the coldest week, so it can fall a little behind then. A 240 V outlet fills it from 10% in about 6 hours.
Is it greener to drive electric on Des Moines's grid?
Yes. Des Moines's grid (MRO West) is 20% dirtier than the US average, but a Slate charged on it still makes 59% 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 Des Moines
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Des Moines International Airport, IA; home electricity, EIA (Iowa, July 2026); gas, EIA weekly (the Midwest); 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.