Slate Reality Check · Detroit, MI
Slate truck in Detroit, MI
Winter range, charging cost and how far it goes, worked out for Detroit's weather, grid and prices.
In a typical Detroit 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 22, when it averages 25°F). By May it's back to about 203. Charging at home at Michigan's average rate (23.1¢/kWh) costs about $89 a month for 38 miles a day, against $184 for a gas Ford Maverick on the Midwest's gas. Detroit's grid (RFC Michigan) is 27% dirtier than the US average, but charging on it still makes 57% 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 Detroit's typical October day, 53°F · 35% highway
Winter lowEstimated
156mi
January, 26°F · lows near 19°F
Home chargingEstimated
$89/mo
7.7¢ a mile at 23.1¢/kWh. Gas Ford Maverick: $184/mo
Detroit's grid
0.97lb CO₂/kWh
RFC Michigan (EPA eGRID): 27% dirtier than the US, 57% less CO₂ than gas
Detroit, 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
163mi
Spring Mar–May · 48°F
6% below its rating
193mi
Summer Jun–Aug · 72°F
About its rating
204mi
Fall Sep–Nov · 53°FNow
3% below its rating
198mi
A Slate's range through a Detroit yearEstimated
Each month at Detroit's 30-year normal temperature, 35% highway. 79 days a year average below freezing.
How far it goes from Detroit, on real roadsEstimated
In October, from a full charge with 10% in reserve: about 90 mi out and back, 179 mi one way (January: 142 mi). Dots are DC fast chargers by network.
Fast charging around Detroit
PlugLog's map of every public charger. Tesla-only Superchargers aren't counted.
- 156DC fast chargers within 25 mi
- 1.4 mito the nearest
- Red E Charge106 in reach
- ChargePoint89
- EV Connect40
- EVgo32
- FLO29
Road trips in October, about, by road: Fort Wayne (173 mi) and Grand Rapids (170 mi) one way on a charge; Columbus (207 mi) with one fast stop.
Questions Detroit drivers ask
How far can a Slate go in a Detroit winter?
About 158 miles on a typical January day (26°F) and about the same in the coldest week of the year (around January 22, 25°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. Detroit averages 79 days a year below freezing.
How much does it cost to charge a Slate in Detroit?
About $89 a month at home for 38 miles a day, at Michigan's average home electricity rate of 23.1¢/kWh: about 7.7¢ 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 Detroit?
At 38 miles a day, yes, all year: a 120 V outlet adds about 39 miles in 12 hours even in Detroit's coldest week, and about 49 on an average day.
Is it greener to drive electric on Detroit's grid?
Yes. Detroit's grid (RFC Michigan) is 27% dirtier than the US average, but a Slate charged on it still makes 57% 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 Detroit
Sources: temperatures, 30-year normals (NOAA 1991–2020) at Detroit City Airport, MI; home electricity, EIA (Michigan, 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.