Ford F-150 Lightning Can’t Achieve EPA Range On Highway: Report

By now, the highs and lows of all-electric vehicles have been well-documented, including the fact that like their ICE-powered counterparts, EPA estimates tend to vary a bit compared to real world efficiency. This is especially true when EVs are hauling or towing things, and in that regard, the Ford F-150 Lightning loses considerable range when doing precisely that, though the EV pickup is more than capable of carrying heavy loads, regardless. Now, a new report from Consumer Reports has found that the Ford F-150 Lightning has trouble achieving its estimated EPA range on the highway, too.

Most are well aware that in the world of EVs, efficiency is better at slower speeds rather than higher ones, which is quite the opposite of a traditional lCE vehicle, and that was precisely the findings of this report, which also demonstrates how EPA estimates can vary greatly by model as well. For this study, Consumer Reports tested each vehicle at 70 miles-per-hour and found that many varied by 50 or so miles, with one being 70 miles off, which isn’t terribly surprising since the EPA uses a mixture of city and highway driving in its testing.

Consumer Reports tested 22 EVs for this study, and drove each one until it completely died – after which it was loaded on a flatbed and hauled to a charger to get more accurate results. Around half of those vehicles fell short of their EPA-estimated range, including the Ford F-150 Lightning, which only managed to travel 270 miles before it stopped – which is 50 miles less than the extended range battery-equipped model’s EPA estimate of 320 miles.

The Ford F-150 Lightning certainly wasn’t alone in that regard, as many other models – including the Lucid Air Touring and Tesla Model S Long Range – also missed their estimates by around 40-50 miles, but others – such as the BMW i4 M50 and iX Drive50 – actually managed to beat their EPA estimates by around the same amount, which brings to light the big variances consumers will find among new EVs.

We’ll have more on the F-150 Lightning soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford F-150 news, F-150 Lightning news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.