Consumer Reports recently started testing accuracy of the EPA ranges on electric vehicles. What the publication found is that nearly half of the 22 EVs they tested fell short. Since range anxiety is a thing and the charging infrastructure in a lot of states is crap, this new testing is both insightful and helpful. Here’s a look at the electric trucks and SUVs with the most accurate range.
The CR range test
Our biggest beef with EPA fuel economy numbers is that the organization does its testing in a virtual vacuum at 55 MPH. With a lot of highway speeds at 70 MPH or higher, this has built-in inaccuracies. So, when Consumer Reports did its testing, it took the fully charged EVs out on the highway and drove a steady 70 MPH until they ran out of charge.
Read that again: CR drove the vehicles until they literally stopped moving. So, even when the vehicle’s computer said zero miles of range, the drivers kept going. While most stopped shortly after zero, there were some that kept going for up to 30 additional miles.
One thing CR did not test: How the vehicles performed in cold weather. All the range tests were performed between 70 and 90 degrees with preconditioned vehicles. For more on how the vehicles were tested, be sure to visit the full report.
The best, worst electric trucks
The biggest failure among not only electric trucks but also all EVs was the Ford F-150 Lightning. We aren’t surprised. In the perfect CR weather conditions, the F-150 Lightning got 50 miles less range than the EPA predicted. So, instead of the 320 estimated EPA miles, it got 270 miles of range. On our own winter test, we got even less than that.
The only other truck tested was the Rivian R1T, and it got 20 more miles than the 314 EPA estimate.
The best, worst electric SUVs
The biggest winner of all vehicles tested by Consumer Reports was the Mercedes-Benz EQE. It got a whopping 72 additional miles more than the EPA estimated 260 miles of range. Other winners include the BMW iX (+46 miles), Ford Mustang Mach E (+29) and Mercedes-Benz EQS (+29).
The biggest loser in the SUV EV test: The Lexus RZ which got 18 miles less than the EPA estimates. Other big losers include the Genesis Electrified GV70 (-16), Audi Q4 E-tron (-15) and Kia Niro (-14).
The bottom line
Over the years, we’ve accepted that gas fuel economy is going to be less that whatever the EPA throws at us – but it doesn’t matter since there’s a gas station on every corner. But with the EV charging infrastructure in its infancy, accurate range matters a lot when you’re taking a road trip.
So, if you’re considering buying an EV, and you are planning on long drives in it, pop on over to the Consumer Reports website and look at its charging and performance scores.
