It’s a well-known fact that all-electric vehicles tend to lose a significant amount of range when driving in cold temperatures, which is something that automakers have worked to combat in recent years. This is certainly true of the Ford F-150 Lightning, which gained a standard heat pump for the 2024 model year, a part that helps to mitigate range loss stemming from winter driving. Regardless, the Ford F-150 Lightning still loses a decent amount of range in cold temperatures, according to a new study.
| Model | Rank Longest Range | Total KM/Miles Driven On Single Charge | Official NRCan Range (KM/Miles) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevy Equinox EV | 6 | 337 / 209 | 513 / 319 | -34 percent |
| Chevy Silverado EV | 1 | 456 / 283 | 724 / 450 | -14 percent* |
| Ford F-150 Lightning | 9 | 296 / 184 | 515 / 320 | -35 percent* |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | 7 | 334 / 208 | 483 / 300 | -31 percent |
| Honda Prologue | 8 | 334 / 208 | 439 / 273 | -24 percent |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 11 | 262 / 163 | 410 / 255 | -36 percent |
| Kia EV9 | 4 | 349 / 217 | 435 / 270 | -20 percent |
| Kia Niro EV | 10 | 285 / 177 | 407 / 253 | -30 percent |
| Polestar 2 | 3 | 384 / 239 | 444 / 276 | -14 percent* |
| Tesla Model 3 | 2 | 410 / 255 | 584 / 363 | -30 percent |
| Toyota bZ4X | 12 | 255 / 158 | 406 / 252 | -37 percent |
| Volkswagen ID.4 | 5 | 338 / 210 | 468 / 291 | -28 percent |
| Volvo XC40 Recharge | 13 | 248 / 154 | 409 / 254 | -39 percent |
| Note Due to a complication Kia EV6 did not participate in the range test, but did participate in the charge test. | ||||
| *Calculation was adjusted to reflect that Chevy Silverado EV started at 73 percent state of range and that F-150 Lightning started at 89 percent state of range. |
This new study comes to us from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA), which rounded up 14 different all-electric vehicles and subjected them to range testing in temperatures ranging from -7 and -15 degrees Celsius, which represents the typical Canadian winter. Each vehicle was driven until it ran completely out of charge, after which the results were compared to the estimated driving range for each published by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). CAA also performed a charging test using a DC fast-charger, too.
The study found that the Ford F-150 Lightning ranked ninth among this group in terms of range loss, as it was able to travel 296 kilometers (184 miles) on a single charge in these conditions, a 35 percent drop compared to its NRCan ratings of 515 kilometers (320 miles). It fared a bit better in terms of charging speed, however, adding 109 kilometers (68 miles) in 15 minutes and going from a 10-80 percent state of charge in 45 minutes at an average speed of 128 kW. As for the Ford Mustang Mach-E, it ranked seventh in terms of range loss in these conditions, and ninth in charging speeds.
Comment
Screw the heat pumps. Ford should be the one to have enough balls to put kerosene heaters in their lowish-cost EVs. They need more cold range certainty and using LFP cells, not waste a bunch of cost & weight loading up.