Initial range after charge well below advertised range- 2025 Flas

[rzechman3]

I purchased a new 2025 Lightning Flash. I love the truck however after charging to 100% the range never is above 260- 270 miles- not the 300-320 that’s advertised. Now, I’m not so naive to think I will actually attain that actual range, but I’m not at all pleased that it never gets even close to the advertised range estimate at 100% charge… by a lot. Temperature during charge was 70-80 degrees. When I charge to 80% it estimates total range of about 225 miles, which extrapolates to the same 260 or so. Does anyone else have this experience and should I press for a new battery?

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[RickLightning]

Everyone has the same experience. EPA range vs real range. The GOM (Guess-O-Meter) projects range, and when you put a destination into the navigation it will project better. As you drive, it will react to your driving history. Of course, if your history is local driving, and then you leave on a highway trip, that will yield a very different range. Posted dozens of times.

 

[RocketGhost]

Countless threads on this topic. But the basics are:

The range estimate is a rough guess based on recent driving behavior.

Driving habits and conditions make a huge difference in range. Cold weather and fast highway driving drops range significantly.

You can get the estimated 300+ mile range in moderate temps and conservative driving at slow speeds in town. But few people consistently drive like that.

 

[Hamtech]

I have had my truck since Aug ‘22. When I charged to 100% the range was 310 or higher.

I unfortunately have had two bad battery modules. The first time I got the “powertrain error”, the second time I was experiencing exactly what you’re describing.

At 100% I would max out at a range of 270 miles and after a few minutes of driving the range would drop to 250 miles. I took the truck to the dealership and they initially told me it was normal but after I demanded they run a diagnostics it was confirmed there was a failed module.

Since my recent repair the battery has been operating as expected.

 

[jimfigler]

Nothing to do with a bad battery and all to do with recent driving history. if you want to "see" that high number displayed then reset the driving history. but you'll still get the 260 miles if your actual driving remains the same

 

[pullinggs]

not the 300-320 that’s advertised.

What everyone else already said... there are so many posts like this that you could have searched. Plus, the 320 mile range is NOT an advertisement; it's an EPA estimate based on a specific EPA-defined test.

Welcome to the best vehicle you will ever own. Go drive it and I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[William Munny]

Like others have said in this thread and the related threads, the "guess o meter" is not great. I have a pro and drive mostly around town on slower roads and rush hour traffic on the highway. I average 2.8 but every time I charge to 100% it tells me my range is 220-240 (when it should be around 270). The best thing you can do is watch your trips on the screen and see what kwh rating you are getting and use that to estimate when you need to charge and what type of miles per kwh you are getting.

 

[Heliian]

They really need to remove that guesstimate readout. It's amazing how many people don't understand how it works, nor understand how efficiency works. It's mind boggling because most gas powered cars don't have a range estimate so front and center, nor is it accurate either.

Ford has really tried to make it accurate but it just confuses people into thinking their battery is weak.

 

[Yubbs]

I find the GOM to be very accurate, You may not like the range it shows, but it's usually the range you will get based on terrain, weather and your driving habits. From what I read recently, Ford is one of the only ones where the range estimate is actually dynamic vs just assuming you will get the EPA range.

With that said, if it bothers you and you want to see 320, reset the EV Driving History and it will show you 320.

 

[TaxmanHog]

Welcome to the Ford family!

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[abcut973]

Nowadays all cars (ICE/EV/Hybrid) have the range displayed on the cluster. The only difference is for the EV and particularly the lightning this value is very dynamic based on the conditions and driving style. (Our truck design is not the most efficient)
This requires an adaptation phase for any new to EV owners who expect the same behavior as a gas powered car.

 

[rzechman3]

Dear all- thanks so much for all the useful information. And sorry for the redundant question. I was not aware that this estimate was dynamic based on past driving habits. Much of my driving is highway so I will try resetting the history to see if it goes to 320 (although estimate was the same 260-270 miles when first purchased with 14 miles on the vehicle). When I asked folks at the dealer the response I got was conflated with actual range and not estimated range, but these answers are very helpful- thank you!!

 

[Athrun88]

Another thing to keep in mind, EV efficiency is reverse from ICE efficiency. EVs are significantly more efficient in stop/go traffic due to regen braking. ICE are significantly more efficient in constant cruising and will get the most range in those situations. You will not get the 320mi range while on the highway; however, you *may* get that if you're doing pure city driving.

The mental shift that I had to get over was comparing the EV's range estimate with how your phone estimates total runtime. It will adapt over time to your driving situation. It will also depend heavily on the outside temperature; if you're in the sweet spot, that will give you the highest range. If the battery is too hot/cold, then it will also affect estimated range.

End of the day, don't stress and enjoy the truck, she's a wonderful vehicle!

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