CR’s Real-World EV Range Tests Show Which Models Beat EPA Estimates
Some cars from Ford, Lucid, and Tesla fell short, while others from BMW and Mercedes exceeded expectations
The advertised ranges of many electric vehicles can vary a lot from the number of miles they can actually cover on a highway road trip, new testing by Consumer Reports shows. When driven at a constant highway speed of 70 mph, some vehicles we tested fell up to 50 miles short of their advertised ranges, while others exceeded their advertised ranges—one by more than 70 miles.
“Range is much more important when you’re far from home and away from reliable charging,” says Alex Knizek, manager of auto testing and insights at CR. “If you run out of charge on the highway, you may need to be towed, which could be both inconvenient and costly.”
Photo: Mike Crossen/Consumer Reports Photo: Mike Crossen/Consumer Reports
Our Findings
Of the 22 EVs we have tested so far, nearly half fell short of their EPA-estimated ranges when driven at highway speeds.
We found the biggest difference in range with the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck: Its battery ran out after just 270 miles—a 50-mile difference from the EPA estimate.
A few luxury sedans also fell short: The Lucid Air missed its advertised 384-mile range by 40 miles. Our Tesla Model S has an EPA range of 405 miles, but we found it was good for only 366 miles of highway driving.
CR reached out to these automakers for comment on our findings, but none had responded by publication time.
On the other hand, some vehicles from BMW and Mercedes-Benz beat their EPA-estimated ranges by more than 40 miles. Our Rivian R1T and Ford Mustang Mach-E also exceeded EPA estimates at highway speeds.
“Those extra miles can be a benefit for those who need to drive in cold weather or utilize some of the blistering fast acceleration that EVs provide, both of which can cut range considerably,” Fisher says.
The EVs we tested from Audi, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, Lexus, Nissan, Subaru, and Volkswagen were all within 20 miles of their advertised ranges.
Our new test results will be factored into new EV scores that we launched this year. Going forward, we’ll continue to evaluate highway range for every EV we test. We’re also asking the EPA to add a highway-speed range test and make the data available to consumers. Other organizations, including Car and Driver and SAE International, are doing the same.
“EPA’s testing procedures date back to the early days of EVs, and what’s included on the window sticker is partially controlled by laws written decades ago for gas cars,” says Chris Harto, senior energy policy analyst at CR. “CR has asked EPA to start the process of modernizing these regulations to help provide more useful consumer information about today’s EVs, including highway range.”
EPA spokesperson Shayla Powell told CR that the current range estimates were designed to fit what it considers the most relevant information on the limited space of a window sticker, and that the agency is continuing to evaluate its methods and procedures for determining EV range. “It would be premature to say how we might adjust the label while our review is ongoing,” Powell told CR.
How We Test EV Highway Range
To make sure the vehicle is properly broken in and still has full battery capacity, we are providing test results only for cars we own that have between 2,000 and 15,000 miles on the odometer. (Some vehicles from automakers including Chevrolet, Nissan, Polestar, Tesla, and Rivian are not represented because we do not currently own them or they did not meet all of our criteria for testing.)
Beyond mileage, we also inspect tires for additional wear, which can affect range. And as always, we have anonymously purchased our test vehicles from local dealerships and vehicle manufacturers.
Because driving in the cold and running the heater can shorten an EV’s range between 25 and 50 percent, we perform all our range tests in summer at temperatures between 70 and 90° F and when weather is clear, which is the most favorable for EV range. If we purchase a new vehicle at another time of the year, we will initially score it based on its EPA range until we can perform our own tests.
We control the tests in other ways as well, setting tire pressure to factory specifications, preconditioning the vehicles inside our garage, setting climate control to 72° F, and using cruise control with speed and mileage verified via GPS. To better understand what drivers experience when range gets critically low, we also document what warnings the vehicles provide. We set regenerative braking to the lowest level, and we also test vehicles in Eco mode, if the car has it, to maximize range the way drivers would likely do on a road trip. If there’s a significant slowdown on our route, we restart the test.
Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports Photo: Alex Knizek/Consumer Reports
New EV Charging and Performance Scores
In addition to the new highway test, we have added new ratings and updated our existing tests to better reflect how EVs perform in real-world driving. Since we live with the EVs we purchase for our testing program, we know what it’s like to plug in our EVs every night or at public chargers on a road trip.
For example, we now evaluate the speed of charging in two ways: The maximum miles of range you can add per hour of Level 2 charging, and the peak miles of range you can add per minute of DC fast charging under ideal conditions. Most Level 2 charging takes place at home or work—overnight or while you’re at the office. By comparison, most DC fast charging takes place on longer trips, when you’d rather be on the road than waiting at a charger, so we give more weight to quick DC fast charging than to Level 2 charging. This score also gives an advantage to more energy-efficient vehicles, which can go more miles per charge.
“This new information allows shoppers to compare the unique characteristics of EVs and what it’s like to live with them every day,” Fisher says.
Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports Photo: John Powers/Consumer Reports
On our vehicle model pages, we also now indicate each vehicle’s charging speed for a variety of chargers. A car might be capable of superfast charging, but if you don’t have access to a 350-kilowatt charger, we can also tell you the charging speed you will get at slower and more common chargers.
“The size of the charger or how quickly a battery goes from 20 percent to 80 percent charged is only part of the equation,” Knizek says. “How quickly you can add miles is what matters most.” The top-scoring vehicles are those that charge quickly but are also very efficient.
Our charging scores also now take into account how easy an EV is to plug in and unplug, and whether it comes with any built-in features, such as navigation, that make charging easier.
“You’re probably interacting with the charge port a lot more often than you would fill up a gas car,” Fisher says.
For example, Rivians have plugs that are low to the ground and feature a hidden switch, while Teslas are much easier to plug in with just one hand. Tesla and Rivian both shine with full-featured smartphone apps and navigation routing designed to minimize time spent finding chargers and plugging in.
Finally, as part of an EV’s transmission score, we’re scoring the ease of one-pedal driving, which allows the driver to speed up or slow down by using only the accelerator pedal.
We’ve also reduced the weight of acceleration test results in our road-test score because most EVs offer blazing-fast acceleration that’s impractical for public roads. Ultimately, these changes are designed to help drivers find an EV that’s easy to live with. “Not everyone will take their EV to a drag strip, but everyone plugs it in,” Fisher says.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated on Dec. 15, 2023 to include a comment from the EPA.
