Just three weeks ago we published the InsideEVs 70 mph range test for the Ford F-150 Lightning with the extended range battery. Now we're back with another Lightning range test. This time we got our hands on an F-150 Lightning Pro with the standard range battery and took it out on the exact same course that we tested the extended range version on.
The F-150 Lightning with the extended range battery we tested in July went 270 miles (435 km) in our 70 mph range test, falling about 5% less than the vehicle's highway EPA range rating of 283 miles (455 km) and 15% less than its combined EPA rating of 320 miles (515 km).
The Lightning Pro with the standard range battery has a combined EPA range rating of 230 miles (370 km) per charge and a highway rating of 201.6 miles (324.4 km). We finished up with 213.8 miles (344 km) of the odometer, at 0% state of charge, and an estimated 0 miles remaining, but the Lightning was still able to drive and wasn't completely power limited.
That's 7% less than its combined EPA range rating and 6% more than its highway rating. Therefore, the Pro with the standard range battery did better in comparison to its EPA range rating, than the extended range battery Lariat that we tested did.
Check out the full library of InsideEVs 70 MPH range tests
The F-150 Lightning is offered with two battery pack options; the standard range pack has 98 kWh of usable energy and the extended range pack has a usable capacity of 131 kWh.Therefore, the extended range battery has about 34% more usable battery capacity than the standard range battery.
Here's a breakdown of the two range tests:
Segment Of The Test Std Range / Ext Range | Average Efficiency Std Range / Ext Range | Miles Driven Std Range / Ext Range | Total Miles Std Range / Ext Range |
100% to 75% | 2.0 / 2.0 | 55 / 73 | 55 / 73 |
75% to 50% | 2.0 / 2.0 | 52 / 69 | 107 / 142 |
50% to 25% | 2.1 / 2.0 | 54 / 61 | 161 / 203 |
25% to 0% | 2.2 / 2.1 | 53 / 67 | 214 / 270 |
With a starting MSRP of only $39,974, the F-150 Lightning Pro is an amazing value. The vehicle we used for this range test had a few options including the Towing Technology package, the 9.6 kW Pro Power onboard system, the tailgate step and Max Trailer Towing, and had an MSRP of $44,249.
It's just too bad it's nearly impossible to get one if you didn't reserve it within the first few months of Ford opening up the reservation book in early 2021. Hopefully, Ford Model e VP Darren Palmer and his team are working hard on getting F-150 Lightning production up substantially to meet demand.
About Our 70 MPH Range Tests
We want to make it clear our range tests aren't perfect. There are variables simply out of our control like wind, traffic, and weather. However, we do our best to control what we can.
We always set the tires to the manufacturer's recommended pressure, crosscheck the speedometer with a GPS for accuracy and place the vehicle in the most efficient driving mode, and in the case of the F-150 Lightning, that's simply "Normal" driving mode. We set the climate control to somewhere between 68°F and 70°F and on the lowest fan setting unless more heating or cooling is needed to maintain a comfortable cabin.
We DC fast charge the vehicle up to 100 percent right before starting the test, reset the trip meter and enter the highway immediately or within a couple of miles. We then drive at a constant 70 mph and in long loops so we end up either where we started, or very close by.
Driving conditions, temperature, and topography will affect an EVs driving range and our 70-mph range tests serve only as a guideline of approximately what you should expect if you drive the same EV under similar conditions.