Road trips
Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay EV charging stops and winter range
In January, 20 of 53 EVs make the 723 km drive; 0 need one stop or fewer.
- distance
- 723 km
- make it in January
- 20 of 53
- make it at −20 °C
- 8 of 53
- January average
- −12 °C
- fast-charging hubs
- 10
Highway 17 around the top of Lake Superior is the hardest stretch of the Trans-Canada for EVs: about 700 km through Wawa, White River, Marathon and Nipigon with long gaps between towns. It is the corridor where the car you pick, and the charger at each stop, matter most in winter.
I'm driving Sault Ste. Marie → Thunder Bay in .
723 km · about −12 °C along the road in January · 10 fast-charging hubs along it
Which EVs make it
0 of 53 comfortably, 20 tight, 33 not recommended.
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD
539 km official range · NACS port · Superchargers: yes · Heat pump: yes
- Range in January
- 389 km
- at −12 °C, highway, full battery
- Longest stretch
- 221 km
- Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa
- Charging stops
- 2
- Fewest stops that work
- Time
- 11:25
- Drive 10:45 + charging 0:40 = 11:25
- Charging cost
- $52–$83
- Estimate · public DC only, not the charge at home
Tight. It works on paper, but at least one stretch uses more than 80% of what this car can safely cover. Check each stop before you leave.
The road, stretch by stretch
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD, Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay: Tight, 2 stops. Longest stretch without a compatible fast charger: 221 km, Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa. 10 compatible fast-charging hubs on the way.
- km 5 to 226: 221 km, tight
- km 503 to 612: 110 km, comfortable
- km 612 to 715: 102 km, comfortable
- km 321 to 421: 100 km, comfortable
- km 226 to 321: 95 km, comfortable
Your stops
NRCan/AFDC data lists stations; it cannot tell us which are broken today. Each backup is a fallback, not an uptime guarantee. Check PlugShare or the network app before you leave.
Stop 1: White River, ON · Tesla · 250 kW
km 321 · arrive 18%, leave 67% · about 22 min · $27–$42
No compatible backup in reach. Plan this stop carefully.
Stop 2: Terrace Bay, ON · Tesla · 250 kW
km 503 · arrive 20%, leave 67% · about 21 min · $25–$40
No compatible backup in reach. Plan this stop carefully.
Thunder Bay
km 723 · arrive with about 10%
The same trip in other months
Every EV on Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay: July, January and −20 °C
Ranked by the January result. Temperatures are ECCC 1991–2020 monthly means averaged over Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Wawa, ON, Thunder Bay, ON; the cold-snap column uses a flat −20 °C.
| EV | Plug | July | January | −20 °C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD | NACS | Comfortable1 stop | Tight2 stops | Tight2 stops |
| Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight2 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Polestar 3 Dual Motor | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight2 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Hyundai IONIQ 6 Preferred RWD | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Tesla Model Y RWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Hyundai IONIQ 5 Preferred Long Range | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Chevrolet Blazer EV LT AWD | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Volvo EX90 Twin Plus Performance (7-seat) | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Nissan LEAF S+ | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Tight3 stops |
| BMW i4 eDrive40 | CCS1 | Comfortable1 stop | Tight3 stops | Tight3 stops |
| Chevrolet Equinox EV LT FWD | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Toyota C-HR SE FWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E Select | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Lexus ES 350e Signature | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Cadillac Optiq Luxury RWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Lexus RZ 350e Signature | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Tesla Cybertruck AWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Ford F-150 Lightning Pro 4x4 SuperCrew | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| GMC Hummer EV Pickup 2X | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV6 Land AWD GT-Line | NACS | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Audi Q4 e-tron 45 RWD | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV LT (Standard Range) | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck (Standard Range) | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Hyundai Kona Electric Preferred | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| GMC Sierra EV Elevation | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Toyota bZ Woodland AWD | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Honda Prologue EX-L AWD | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor Plus | CCS1 | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Subaru Trailseeker Touring | NACS | Comfortable2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Polestar 2 Single Motor | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Rivian R1T Dual Motor | NACS | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Volvo EX30 Core | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Volvo EC40 Twin Core | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Volvo EX40 Core Twin Motor | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Toyota bZ XLE FWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| VinFast VF 8 Eco | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Chevrolet Bolt LT | NACS | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia Niro EV Wind | CCS1 | Tight2 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Genesis GV60 Advanced AWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Subaru Uncharted FWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV4 Light FWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV6 Light RWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Subaru Solterra Convenience | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Nissan LEAF S | NACS | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV9 Light RWD | NACS | Tight3 stops | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV3 Light FWD | NACS | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Nissan Ariya SV FWD | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Elementary | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Kia EV5 Light FWD | NACS | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Volkswagen ID.4 RWD 62 kWh | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| MINI Cooper SE Classic | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
| Fiat 500e Base | CCS1 | Not recommended— | Not recommended— | Not recommended— |
Longest gaps between compatible fast chargers
Which chargers count depends on the plug and on Supercharger access, so the same road has four different gap maps. The three longest stretches for each group:
| Rank | Tesla | NACS-port (non-Tesla) | CCS1 with Supercharger access | CCS1, no Supercharger access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 221 kmSault Ste. Marie → Wawa | 221 kmSault Ste. Marie → Wawa | 221 kmSault Ste. Marie → Wawa | 416 kmSault Ste. Marie → Marathon |
| 2 | 110 kmTerrace Bay → Nipigon | 110 kmTerrace Bay → Nipigon | 110 kmTerrace Bay → Nipigon | 212 kmTerrace Bay → Thunder Bay |
| 3 | 102 kmNipigon → Thunder Bay | 102 kmNipigon → Thunder Bay | 102 kmNipigon → Thunder Bay | 82 kmMarathon → Terrace Bay |
Fast chargers on Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay
17 public DC fast-charging sites at 10 charging hubs within 5 km of the route, from the NRCan/AFDC station list (snapshot Oct 16, 2026). Pricing is shown as the network reports it. A listing is not a guarantee the charger works today.
| Site | km | Network | Plugs | DC ports | Max kW | Last confirmed | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste Marie, ON · km 0 · 6 DC ports · CCS1 | |||||||
| Station Mall (Sault Ste Marie, ON)293 Bay Street | 0 | Electrify Canada | CCS1 | 6 | 350 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON · km 4 · 10 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Tesla Supercharger360 Great Northern RoadOpen to other EVs | 4 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| Motel 6503 Trunk RdRestricted access | 4 | Hwisel | CCS1 | 2 | 100 | Dec 12, 2025 | $0.0467 per minute for level 2 ports; $0.56 per kWh ffor DC Fast ports |
| C08278 Sault Ste Marie386 Great Northern Rd | 4 | Shell Recharge | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 2 | 50 / 50 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Sault Ste. Marie, ON · km 5 · 1 DC port · CCS1, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| Prouse Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac- DC851 Great Northern Road | 5 | FLO | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 1 | 50 / 50 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Wawa, ON · km 226 · 6 DC ports · NACS | |||||||
| Wawa, ON - Tesla Supercharger95 Mission RoadOpen to other EVs | 226 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| White River, ON · km 321 · 6 DC ports · NACS | |||||||
| White River, ON - Tesla Supercharger17 Trans-Canada HighwayOpen to other EVs | 321 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| Marathon, ON · km 421 · 1 DC port · CCS1, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| PETRO-CANADA B 10600 - 14 Hemlo Drive | 421 | Petro-Canada | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 1 | 350 / 75 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Terrace Bay, ON · km 503 · 10 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| Terrace Bay, ON - Tesla Supercharger41 Simcoe PlazaOpen to other EVs | 503 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| Terrace Bay Drifters Motel1100 ON-17 | 503 | Ivy | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 4 | 50 / 50 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Nipigon, ON · km 612 · 6 DC ports · NACS | |||||||
| Nipigon, ON - Tesla Supercharger453 Trans-Canada HighwayOpen to other EVs | 612 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| Thunder Bay, ON · km 715 · 2 DC ports · CCS1, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| PETRO-CANADA B 54415 - 11063 Dawson Road | 715 | Petro-Canada | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 1 | 350 / 75 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| PETRO-CANADA B 54415 - 21063 Dawson Road | 715 | Petro-Canada | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 1 | 350 / 75 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Thunder Bay, ON · km 718 · 12 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO | |||||||
| Badanai Motors Inc Thunder Bay - DC399 Memorial Ave | 718 | FLO | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 2 | 50 / 50 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
| Scotiabank745 Hewiston St | 720 | Independent | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 1 | ? / ? | Apr 12, 2021 | Free |
| Thunder Bay, ON - Tesla Supercharger1221 Arthur Street WestOpen to other EVs | 723 | Tesla | NACS | 6 | 250 | Jun 18, 2026 | — |
| C00243 Thunder Bay EV251 Arthur Street W | 723 | Shell Recharge | CCS1, CHAdeMO | 3 | 50 / 50 | Oct 16, 2026 | — |
Questions
- Do most EVs make the Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay drive in winter?
- In January (about −12 °C on average along the route), 20 of 53 EVs in our catalogue make it: 0 comfortably and 20 with a tight margin. In a −20 °C cold snap the count is 8 of 53. These are estimates from official range, ECCC climate normals and the NRCan/AFDC charger list, not road tests.
- What is the longest gap between fast chargers from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay?
- It depends on the plug. For CCS1 cars with Supercharger access, the longest stretch without a compatible DC fast charger is 221 km (Sault Ste. Marie → Wawa). For Teslas it is 221 km (Sault Ste. Marie → Wawa), for other NACS-port cars 221 km (Sault Ste. Marie → Wawa), and for CCS1 cars without Supercharger access 416 km (Sault Ste. Marie → Marathon).
- How many charging stops does a Tesla Model Y RWD need from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay in January?
- 3 stops in our January estimate (tight), about 0:55 of charging on top of 10:45 of driving. Planned stops: Wawa, Marathon, Nipigon.
- Are there backup chargers along the Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay route?
- NRCan/AFDC lists 17 public DC fast-charging sites at 10 charging hubs within 5 km of the route. In our January plan for the Tesla Model Y RWD, 1 of 3 stops have a compatible backup in reach. The data cannot say which chargers are working today, so check PlugShare or the network app before you leave.
More routes and winter guides
- Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie307 km via Hwy 17.
- Thunder Bay to Winnipeg696 km via Hwy 17 (Dryden, Kenora).
- All 18 routesPick any route and month and rank every EV in our catalogue.
- EV winter charging gapsOne car, every road: where the longest stretch without a charger is.
- EV winter range in CanadaCAA's 14–39% winter band and how to plan a buffer.
How the estimate works
What we model
- Highway range = official NRCan range × 0.90 (steady 100–110 km/h) × the share of range kept at that temperature: 56% at −30 °C, 66% at −20 °C, 76% at −10 °C, 86% at 0 °C, 95% at 10 °C, 100% at 20 °C. Cars with a confirmed heat pump lose a quarter less (for example 75% instead of 66% at −20 °C). An unknown heat pump counts as none.
- Temperature is the 1991–2020 ECCC daily mean for the month, averaged over 2–4 weather stations along the road. Cold snaps use a flat −20 °C or −30 °C.
- You leave full and keep a 10% reserve, so the first leg can use 90% of range. Each later leg runs from 10% to 80% (70%). A trip is comfortable when every stretch uses at most 80% of that, tight when it works with less margin.
- A charger fits when it has your car's plug and access: CCS1 sites need a CCS1 car or a carried adapter, Tesla Superchargers need a Tesla or a car with Supercharger access, "Teslas only" sites count only for Teslas. Restricted and limited-hours sites are never planned.
- Stops are the fewest that work, counting the drive off the highway and back. Each stop gets the nearest other compatible hub that is reachable from the previous stop and still reaches the next one.
- Charging cost uses the network's price from our public-charging table, plus 8% charging loss. Networks not in that table use a typical $0.45–$0.65/kWh. It leaves out the charge at home before you leave.
Not modelled
Wind, hills and mountain passes, snow on the road, winter tires, speeds above 110 km/h, passes that are colder than the route average, and chargers that are broken or busy. Charge times assume you navigate to the charger so the battery is preconditioned; without it, winter charging is much slower.
EV North estimates (no published source)
- The temperature table, the heat-pump factor and the 0.90 highway factor. No highway winter test with a stated temperature and baseline was available to calibrate them.
- Average DC power = min(90 % of charger kW, 55 % of the car's peak kW)
- Unknown charger power assumed 50 kW; unknown car peak assumed 150 kW
- Cold-charging slowdown ×1.10 at 0 °C, ×1.25 at −10 °C, ×1.40 at −20 °C, ×1.60 at −30 °C (with preconditioning)
Sources behind the model
- CAA - Winter EV Test Drive (14 vehicles, Canadian conditions) (checked Oct 2026)
- ECCC Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (checked Oct 2026)
- AAA (2019): 41 % range loss at −6.7 °C with cabin heat, combined city/highway dynamometer test (checked Oct 2026)
- Recurrent 2025/26 winter study: 78 % of ideal range at 0 °C, 70 % at −7 °C; heat pumps add about 10 % at 0 °C (checked Oct 2026)
- Geotab fleet data: EVs can lose up to 50 % of range at −20 °C (checked Oct 2026)
- NAF/Motor El Prix winter test, Jan 2026 (via FIA): 24 EVs, down to −32 °C, average 38 % below WLTP (checked Oct 2026)
- NLR / AFDC Alternative Fuel Stations API (Canada data from NRCan) (checked Oct 2026)
- Tesla - Supercharging other EVs (North America) (checked Oct 2026)
- Tesla Canada Supercharger fee pages, DriveTeslaCanada network reporting, Ivy/Electrify Canada/Petro-Canada pricing pages (checked Jul 2026)
Data sources
- Road geometry © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), routed with OSRM. Routes fetched Oct 16, 2026.
- Fast chargers: NLR / AFDC Alternative Fuel Stations API (Canada data from NRCan), public DC fast sites within 5 km of each route. Snapshot Oct 16, 2026. It lists stations; it cannot say which are working today.
- Temperatures: ECCC Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, checked Oct 16, 2026.
- Charging prices: Tesla Canada Supercharger fee pages, DriveTeslaCanada network reporting, Ivy/Electrify Canada/Petro-Canada pricing pages, checked Jul 30, 2026. Vehicle range, battery and plug data come from each car's page in our catalogue.