New testing shows that some popular electric vehicles fall short of their government-estimated driving ranges, underscoring anxiety Americans have about the range of electric vehicles.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency range estimates listed on electric vehicle window stickers and at fueleconomy.gov don't have separate city and highway ranges, as they do with conventional cars and hybrids. Consumer Reports, the nonprofit research, testing, and consumer advocacy organization, put electric vehicles to the test.
To find out how much range EV models get in highway driving conditions, Consumer Reports put 22 of the most popular new EVs through a new highway-speed range test. The test involved driving fully-charged vehicles at a steady speed of 70 mph and only stopping when each vehicle’s battery was completely depleted and the vehicle was inoperable, according to the nonprofit.
Nearly half of the 22 vehicles tested failed to reach their EPA-estimated ranges, but some exceeded those estimates. The highway range of the tested vehicles ranged from 202 miles up to 380 miles.
