The Ford F-150 Lightning Comes up Short Again
Range anxiety is one of the main reasons people don’t want electric vehicles. Now this recent range test for the Ford F-150 Lightning doesn’t help things. As rivals gain more range, the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning literally comes up short.
How much range does the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning have?
The 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro or the standard model with the smaller battery pack has an EPA-estimated range of 230 miles on a single charge.
Upgrading to the larger battery pack or the long-range model provides an EPA-estimated range of up to 320 miles.
Recently, tons of towing tests, including my own, proved that the F-150 Lightning doesn’t meet its range estimated while towing and hauling heavy loads.
It can tow up to 10,000 lbs, but with a 5,000 lb camper, my F-150 Lightning model lost 80 miles of range over 30 miles of travel on the interstate and in the city.
Another highway test showed that the F-150 Lightning falls short without towing or hauling anything.
While the EPA rates vehicles based on a mix of city and highway driving, the range test was conducted at 70 mph. So, it was safe to expect some vehicles to fall a little short.
However, their F-150 Lightning model only traveled for about 270 miles before it was completed out of charge. It fell 50 miles short of its 320-mile range.
During this test which involved 22 different electric vehicles, the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air Touring also fell short. But the BMW i4 M50 and iX Drive50 managed to go beyond their range estimates.
Also, the EAP-range estimates are based on the top conditions for an optimal performance. So we wonder how cold it was during the road test.
If the F-150 Lightning had driven at a colder temperature in the morning or evening, then it could’ve lost more range compared to something driven during the warmest part of the day.
I would like to know which driving modes were used as well. Sport Mode takes more juice than Eco Mode. The regenerative settings for the brakes can also make a difference.
But even without these unknown variables, the Ford F-150 Lightning still came up short while other vehicles managed to exceed their EPA-estimated ranges.
