Do most EVs make the Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie drive in winter?

In January (about −11 °C on average along the route), 49 of 53 EVs in our catalogue make it: 34 comfortably and 15 with a tight margin. In a −20 °C cold snap the count is 43 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 Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie?

It depends on the plug. For CCS1 cars with Supercharger access, the longest stretch without a compatible DC fast charger is 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River). For Teslas it is 143 km (Blind River → Sault Ste. Marie), for other NACS-port cars 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River), and for CCS1 cars without Supercharger access 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River).

How many charging stops does a Tesla Model Y RWD need from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie in January?

1 stop in our January estimate (comfortable), about 0:00 of charging on top of 4:30 of driving. Planned stops: Blind River.

Are there backup chargers along the Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie route?

NRCan/AFDC lists 14 public DC fast-charging sites at 6 charging hubs within 5 km of the route. In our January plan for the Tesla Model Y RWD, 0 of 1 stop has a compatible backup in reach. The data cannot say which chargers are working today, so check PlugShare or the network app before you leave.

Road trips

Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie EV charging stops and winter range

In January, 49 of 53 EVs make the 307 km drive; 49 need one stop or fewer.

distance: 307 km
make it in January: 49 of 53
make it at −20 °C: 43 of 53
January average: −11 °C
fast-charging hubs: 6

The Trans-Canada follows the North Channel of Lake Huron from Sudbury through Espanola, Blind River and Thessalon to Sault Ste. Marie. It is the warm-up for the harder Lake Superior leg, with small towns spaced along a two-lane highway.

I'm driving Sudbury → Sault Ste. Marie in Month or cold snap.

307 km · about −11 °C along the road in January · 5 fast-charging hubs along it

Which EVs make it

34 of 53 comfortably, 15 tight, 4 not recommended.

Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD

539 km official range · NACS port · Superchargers: yes · Heat pump: yes

Range in January: 393 km; at −11 °C, highway, full battery
Longest stretch: 159 km; Sudbury to Blind River
Charging stops: None; Direct drive
Time: 4:30; Drive 4:30 + charging 0:00 = 4:30
Charging cost: $0; Estimate · public DC only, not the charge at home

Comfortable. Every stretch between charges leaves about 20% or more of the usable range spare.

The road, stretch by stretch

Comfortable stretchTight stretchLonger than this car can safely goFast charger that fits (4)Charger with another plug or no access (1)

No charging stop needed: you arrive in Sault Ste. Marie with about 22%.

The same trip in other months

Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD specs and price

Every EV on Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie: July, January and −20 °C

Ranked by the January result. Temperatures are ECCC 1991–2020 monthly means averaged over Sudbury, ON, Sault Ste. Marie, ON; the cold-snap column uses a flat −20 °C.

EV	Plug	July	January	−20 °C
Hyundai IONIQ 9 Essential RWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed
Polestar 3 Dual Motor	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Polestar 4 Long Range Single Motor	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
BMW i4 eDrive40	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Hyundai IONIQ 6 Preferred RWD	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Hyundai IONIQ 5 Preferred Long Range	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Nissan LEAF S+	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Chevrolet Blazer EV LT AWD	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Tesla Cybertruck AWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Chevrolet Equinox EV LT FWD	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Cadillac Optiq Luxury RWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
GMC Hummer EV Pickup 2X	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop
Tesla Model 3 Premium RWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Tesla Model Y RWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Toyota C-HR SE FWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Ford Mustang Mach-E Select	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Lexus ES 350e Signature	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Lexus RZ 350e Signature	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Ford F-150 Lightning Pro 4x4 SuperCrew	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Volvo EX90 Twin Plus Performance (7-seat)	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Kia EV6 Land AWD GT-Line	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Comfortable1 stop
Audi Q4 e-tron 45 RWD	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Hyundai Kona Electric Preferred	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Toyota bZ Woodland AWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Honda Prologue EX-L AWD	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor Plus	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Subaru Trailseeker Touring	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Volvo EX30 Core	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Chevrolet Silverado EV LT (Standard Range)	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck (Standard Range)	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Polestar 2 Single Motor	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Volvo EC40 Twin Core	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
GMC Sierra EV Elevation	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Rivian R1T Dual Motor	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop
Toyota bZ XLE FWD	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Volvo EX40 Core Twin Motor	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Chevrolet Bolt LT	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Kia Niro EV Wind	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Subaru Uncharted FWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Kia EV4 Light FWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
VinFast VF 8 Eco	CCS1	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Genesis GV60 Advanced AWD	NACS	ComfortableNo stop needed	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Kia EV6 Light RWD	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
Nissan LEAF S	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Tight1 stop
Subaru Solterra Convenience	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
Kia EV3 Light FWD	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
Kia EV9 Light RWD	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
Nissan Ariya SV FWD	CCS1	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
MINI Countryman SE ALL4 Elementary	CCS1	Comfortable1 stop	Tight1 stop	Not recommended—
Kia EV5 Light FWD	NACS	Comfortable1 stop	Not recommended—	Not recommended—
Volkswagen ID.4 RWD 62 kWh	CCS1	Comfortable1 stop	Not recommended—	Not recommended—
MINI Cooper SE Classic	CCS1	Tight1 stop	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	143 kmBlind River → Sault Ste. Marie	159 kmSudbury → Blind River	159 kmSudbury → Blind River	159 kmSudbury → Blind River
2	93 kmMcKerrow → Blind River	143 kmBlind River → Sault Ste. Marie	143 kmBlind River → Sault Ste. Marie	143 kmBlind River → Sault Ste. Marie
3	66 kmSudbury → McKerrow	3 kmSudbury → Sudbury	3 kmSudbury → Sudbury	3 kmSudbury → Sudbury

Fast chargers on Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie

14 public DC fast-charging sites at 6 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
Sudbury, ON · km 0 · 7 DC ports · CCS1, CHAdeMO
Sudbury Microtel Inn1338 Kingsway #1	0	Ivy	CCS1, CHAdeMO	6	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
Crosstown Chevrolet Buick Cadillac GMC - Outdoor DC280 Falconbridge Road	0	FLO	CCS1, CHAdeMO	1	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
Sudbury, ON · km 3 · 11 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
Southside Chevrolet Buick GMC - Fast Charger2601 Regent st	3	FLO	CCS1, CHAdeMO	1	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
PETRO-CANADA B 34827 - 11810 Regent Street	4	Petro-Canada	CCS1, CHAdeMO	1	200 / 75	Oct 16, 2026	—
PETRO-CANADA B 34827 - 21810 Regent Street	4	Petro-Canada	CCS1, CHAdeMO	1	200 / 75	Oct 16, 2026	—
Sudbury, ON - Tesla Supercharger2416 Long Lake RdTeslas only	4	Tesla	NACS	8	150	Jun 18, 2026	—
McKerrow, ON · km 69 · 6 DC ports · NACS
Baldwin, ON - Tesla Supercharger331 Highway 17 WestTeslas only	69	Tesla	NACS	6	250	Jun 18, 2026	—
Blind River, ON · km 162 · 10 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
Blind River, ON - Tesla Supercharger498 Causley StreetTeslas only	162	Tesla	NACS	6	250	Jun 18, 2026	—
Blind River Tim Hortons43 Causley St	164	Ivy	CCS1, CHAdeMO	4	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
Sault St.e Marie, ON · km 302 · 2 DC ports · CCS1
Motel 6503 Trunk RdRestricted access	302	Hwisel	CCS1	2	100	Dec 12, 2025	$0.0467 per minute for level 2 ports; $0.56 per kWh ffor DC Fast ports
Sault Ste. Marie, ON · km 305 · 15 DC ports · CCS1, NACS, CHAdeMO
Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Tesla Supercharger360 Great Northern RoadOpen to other EVs	305	Tesla	NACS	6	250	Jun 18, 2026	—
C08278 Sault Ste Marie386 Great Northern Rd	306	Shell Recharge	CCS1, CHAdeMO	2	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
Prouse Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac- DC851 Great Northern Road	306	FLO	CCS1, CHAdeMO	1	50 / 50	Oct 16, 2026	—
Station Mall (Sault Ste Marie, ON)293 Bay Street	307	Electrify Canada	CCS1	6	350	Oct 16, 2026	—

Questions

Do most EVs make the Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie drive in winter?: In January (about −11 °C on average along the route), 49 of 53 EVs in our catalogue make it: 34 comfortably and 15 with a tight margin. In a −20 °C cold snap the count is 43 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 Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie?: It depends on the plug. For CCS1 cars with Supercharger access, the longest stretch without a compatible DC fast charger is 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River). For Teslas it is 143 km (Blind River → Sault Ste. Marie), for other NACS-port cars 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River), and for CCS1 cars without Supercharger access 159 km (Sudbury → Blind River).
How many charging stops does a Tesla Model Y RWD need from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie in January?: 1 stop in our January estimate (comfortable), about 0:00 of charging on top of 4:30 of driving. Planned stops: Blind River.
Are there backup chargers along the Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie route?: NRCan/AFDC lists 14 public DC fast-charging sites at 6 charging hubs within 5 km of the route. In our January plan for the Tesla Model Y RWD, 0 of 1 stop has 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

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

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.