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EVs are likely going to be the future of personal transportation. They offer a lot of improvements over gas-powered cars, especially in terms of aspects like pollution and fuel costs. While EVs are more efficient than gas-powered cars and will usually have much higher efficiency ratings, some EVs will be less efficient than others. Here’s a look at the three EVs on the market right now that have the worst fuel economy ratings. 

What is MPGe and why does it matter?

An electric charger for electric vehicles in front of a white car.
EV charger | Getty Images

As Car and Driver wrote, MPGe stands for miles per gallon equivalent, and it’s a good way for customers to compare EVs with regular gas-powered cars. Since EVs don’t use gas, the way their MPGe is determined is relatively simple. When a car burns some gas, it’s producing some energy. The EPA took the energy that’s in a gallon of gas and used it as a benchmark for MPGe.

A gallon of gas has about 33.7 kWh of energy, so if an EV uses 33.7 kWh to go 100 miles, it has a MPGe of 100. Just like with regular cars, a higher MPGe number will mean the car is more efficient. Since electricity isn’t free, a more efficient EV will usually mean that the owner will have to pay less to recharge their car. However, that is an area where the MPGe system isn’t good, according to Car and Driver. 

Regardless, it’s good to look for an EV with a high MPGe. Sometimes, though, an EV will have a low MPGe, and here’s a look at three EVs with the worst MPGe numbers.

3. Jaguar I-Pace with 76 MPGe one of the worst fuel economy ratings

At a starting price tag of over $70,000, the I-Pace has a few issues, even for a luxury EV. To compensate for the I-Pace’s low efficiency, Jaguar gave the car a massive 90-kWh battery. Even with this big battery though, it’ll only get a range of about 250 miles. That is less than what many EVs, even non-luxury EVs, can get nowadays. 

One of the reasons why it has a low efficiency is because it comes with a dual-motor configuration that gets 394 hp as standard. This powertrain will make the luxury EV fun to drive but not very efficient overall.

2. Rivian R1S and R1T with 69-70

The R1T is the first electric pickup truck to enter the market, and the related R1S is coming soon. That being said, like many electric trucks, the R1T needed a lot of powerful motors and a big battery for it to do truck things. As a result, it’s not going to be very efficient.

Currently, it only comes with a quad-motor option, generating over 800 hp combined. The 2022 model year gets a huge 128.9-kWh battery, and that’ll give it a range of 314 miles. The R1T will also cost about $80,000.

1. Ford F-150 Lightning with 68 MPGe, one of the worst fuel economy ratings

Unlike the Jaguar and the Rivian, the Ford will be cheaper, as the Lightning currently starts at about $40,000. However, just like the R1T, Ford gave the Lightning a lot of power, ultimately making it less efficient than something like a Tesla. 

The Lightning comes standard with a dual-motor configuration, and combined, they get about 452 hp. The standard Lightning has a 98-kWh battery, but due to how inefficient the Lightning is, that battery will only give it 230 miles of range. Ford does offer a 131.0-kWh battery, and this’ll boost its range to 320 miles. 

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