Will I make it from Denver to Crested Butte?
In July, none of these popular EVs make it from Denver to Crested Butte on a 90% charge with at least 10% to spare; in January, none do. The biggest winter drain: 17°F cold costs 30%.
228 miles, about 4 h 6 min of driving. Leaving at 8 AM on a typical January and July day.
Check your own car and charge level
January and July, car by car
Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD
January · 17°F
No
Runs out about 49 mi short
17°F cold costs 30%
July · 59°F
No
Arrives with 0–16%
Monarch Pass climb uses 20%
Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD
January · 17°F
No
Runs out about 40 mi short
17°F cold costs 29%
July · 59°F
Close
Arrives with 1–19%
Monarch Pass climb uses 21%
Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range AWD
January · 17°F
No
Runs out about 70 mi short
17°F cold costs 29%
July · 59°F
No
Arrives with 0–14%
Monarch Pass climb uses 20%
Chevrolet Equinox EV FWD
January · 17°F
No
Runs out about 43 mi short
17°F cold costs 29%
July · 59°F
No
Arrives with 0–19%
Monarch Pass climb uses 17%
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Long Range RWD
January · 17°F
No
Runs out about 71 mi short
17°F cold costs 30%
July · 59°F
No
Arrives with 0–13%
Monarch Pass climb uses 19%
Yes means the low end of the range still arrives with 10% or more. Close means the likely answer does, but a colder or windier day might not. No means you'll need to stop.
Best fast-charging stops on the way
- Walmart 5049 (Littleton, CO) — Littleton, CO · Electrify America · mile 19 · up to 150 kW
- SDCEA SOUTH MAIN L3 — Buena Vista, CO · ChargePoint · mile 119 · up to 50 kW
- GUNNISON GUNNISON PL1 — Gunnison, CO · ChargePoint · mile 200 · up to 50 kW
Questions about this trip
Will I make it from Denver to Crested Butte in winter?
On a mid-January morning, 0 of 5 popular EVs make the 228-mile drive from a 90% charge and arrive with at least 10%. Typical temperature on the way: 17°F.
Where should I charge between Denver and Crested Butte?
The best DC fast-charging stops on the way, in order: Walmart 5049 (Littleton, CO) (mile 19); SDCEA SOUTH MAIN L3 (mile 119); GUNNISON GUNNISON PL1 (mile 200). Charge to about 80%; above that, charging slows sharply.
What uses the most battery between Denver and Crested Butte?
On a January day in a Tesla Model Y Long Range AWD, the single biggest drain is this: 17°F cold costs 30%.
What is the best EV for Denver to Crested Butte?
None of the 5 popular EVs we check make it on a January day from a 90% start. The Tesla Model 3 Long Range AWD gets closest, running out about 40 miles short. In July it arrives with about 11%.
How we work this out
Each answer drives the real road route in 30-meter steps: speed, climbs and descents (with regenerative braking), rolling resistance, cabin heating or cooling, a cold battery's lower capacity, and the typical wind. Temperatures are NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals for each place along the way. Every car is calibrated to its EPA highway rating. Each car starts at 90%.
Updated . Sources: Stadia Maps road routes and elevation, NOAA climate normals, fueleconomy.gov, and the U.S. DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center.