Lightning vs our 2023 ID4 efficiency

[user-name-required]

Hey all - Mods move wherever you prefer something like this to appear.


Random comparison here, but after 10,000 kms on my 2024 Flash trim Lightning, and after a couple months of resetting the trip meter to measure the difference in spring/summer/and winter (only bought this start of Nov), I have some thoughts.

• 2023 ID4 Pro S
  • Nearly 40,000 kms now, bought early in 2024. We downsized to one vehicle for nearly 2 years with this thing, so it was put through the wringer.
  • It was used as our road trip vehicle, and even towed our tent trailer with a vertical bike rack many times, incl a few 1,800km round trips.
  • Grand total efficiency over it all: 22.5kwh/100kms. Though this may go down over time as it no longer has to do towing duty.
• 2024 Lightning
  • 10,000 kms on it now, bought Nov 1 2024.
  • Did 2 x 1,800km+ road trips through the BC mountains in winter. Lots of driving around town, and freeway driving to visit clients and family
  • Winter efficiency was 34 kwh/100kms. Reset April 1 for Spring, and it was hovering around 30-31kwh/100kms for a while....until I started towing.
  • Now, the spring efficiency is the same, as the overall efficiency, at 34kwh/100kms.

All things considered, this is reasonable I think. The Lightning is a brick of a vehicle, can haul and carry so much more than the ID4, and is about 50% worse efficiency than the ID4 (a reasonably sleek crossover). This tracks with ICE vehicles too, where a similar crossover would be around 7-8L/100kms, and the ICE F150 would be around 12-13L/100kms as well.

Now, when I am doing smaller regional highways where my average speed is about ~90kmh, my single trip efficiency is around 26kwh/100kms, which would put the theoretical range right on the money at 504kms, right what the EPA range should be (510kms per my window sticker). So, it really is about the freeway, doing 110-120kmh (65-75mph) is just a massive efficiency drain on these vehicles.


Ok, efficiency nerd numbers rant over. Cheers!

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[Mal106]

No doubt. Without doing the conversions, my 2012 Leaf does 4.5 mi/kwh along the same local routes as my Lightning does 2.5. I don't like it but I totally understand.

 

[Grumpy2]

So, it really is about the freeway, doing 110-120kmh (65-75mph) is just a massive efficiency drain on these vehicles.

Thanks for the post. I agree, I can get (and exceed) the EPA rating of 2.4 miles/kWh on local driving. On longer trips, I now drive the speed limit and accept the cost is about equal to gas. Overall EVs are just tools and using the right tool for the task is the key.

 

[tdv0]

Makes sense. Our iX40 gets around 5 km/kwh but almost half the battery size while the Flash is getting a consistent 3.7 km/kwh. Still costs almost 1/10 in the cost of gas than driving my old 2nd gen Tacoma.

 

[MaintGrl]

Thanks for the post. I agree, I can get (and exceed) the EPA rating of 2.4 miles/kWh on local driving. On longer trips, I now drive the speed limit and accept the cost is about equal to gas. Overall EVs are just tools and using the right tool for the task is the key.

Ya, it's kinda funny, in an ICE you go as fast as you want to go having NO idea the amt of gas you are using to speed down the highway (Wasting a lot of energy on excess heat), In the lightning, you get instantaneous feed back on how much energy kW's (ICE Gas) you are using, finding I try to optimize my energy usage and speed to my destination...

 

[Mal106]

Most modern ICE vehicles also give you feedback on fuel use. There is just so much in there that you don't care ..... as much.

 

[Mach Turtle]

It's interesting to look at some published numbers and compare models. Just one page of many:

https://www.thecalculatorsite.com/energy/mpge-calculator.php

Who remembers when the efficient ICE community was abuzz with talk about trying to make a 100 MPG car? It has happened, just in a different way than we expected. And a lot more fun.

 

[chl]

No doubt. Without doing the conversions, my 2012 Leaf does 4.5 mi/kwh along the same local routes as my Lightning does 2.5. I don't like it but I totally understand.

I've gotten as high as 4.8mi/kWh in my 2012 Leaf (local non-highway) and 3.4mi/kWh in my 2023 Lightning Pro (same driving).

Cold weather negatively affects the efficiency in both of my EVs, as does extremely hot weather.

 

[chl]

Most modern ICE vehicles also give you feedback on fuel use. There is just so much in there that you don't care ..... as much.

Unless you (or your spouse) are running on empty!

 

[chl]

Ya, it's kinda funny, in an ICE you go as fast as you want to go having NO idea the amt of gas you are using to speed down the highway (Wasting a lot of energy on excess heat), In the lightning, you get instantaneous feed back on how much energy kW's (ICE Gas) you are using, finding I try to optimize my energy usage and speed to my destination...

Our Prius hybrid give instantaneous efficiency display on the dash if wanted, always at or above 50mpg...also tells how many miles you can go before you run out, according to my wife anyway, who always seems to be running on empty - go figure.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Our vehicles:

Vehicle	kWh/100 km	miles/kWh	Notes
2022 Mustang Mach-E	~15.5 kWh/100 km	~4 miles/kWh	Mostly long-distance, freeway road trips for the first 18 months but now mostly around town driving.
2023 F-150 Lightning	~24.9 kWh/100 km	~2.5 miles/kWh	Mostly long-distance, freeway road trips. Some towing. Some around-town.

 

[MaintGrl]

Most modern ICE vehicles also give you feedback on fuel use. There is just so much in there that you don't care ..... as much.

Underline, Modern . . In addition to my Lightning, I'm running a 96 Ranger XLT. Ain't no Feed back on that one...

 

[user-name-required]

Our vehicles:

Vehicle	kWh/100 km	miles/kWh	Notes
2022 Mustang Mach-E	~15.5 kWh/100 km	~4 miles/kWh	Mostly long-distance, freeway road trips for the first 18 months but now mostly around town driving.
2023 F-150 Lightning	~24.9 kWh/100 km	~2.5 miles/kWh	Mostly long-distance, freeway road trips. Some towing. Some around-town.

That is phenomenal efficiency out of your Lightning. And your Mach e for that matter. I mean, we had a trailer on for about 20% of the time for our ID4, and a vertical bike rack for another 20-30% of the kms, but yea. Crazy.

I am particularly surprised by the Lightning, as I can only get those kinds of numbers when my speed is hovering around 90kmh or about 55mph, certainly not at freeway speeds. And I feel like I am driving about as gentle and not lead-footed as I can....


#teachmeyourways

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

That is phenomenal efficiency out of your Lightning. And your Mach e for that matter. I mean, we had a trailer on for about 20% of the time for our ID4, and a vertical bike rack for another 20-30% of the kms, but yea. Crazy.

I am particularly surprised by the Lightning, as I can only get those kinds of numbers when my speed is hovering around 90kmh or about 55mph, certainly not at freeway speeds. And I feel like I am driving about as gentle and not lead-footed as I can....


#teachmeyourways

We run our tire pressure near the top of the range. We don't do hard starts or hard stops. Our winter temperatures are mild and we rarely have to run the heat (though we usually do get a lot of snow). Our summers are relatively mild so we don't often have to run the AC. We usually don't go faster than 72 mph (116 kph in real units). I never speed in town. We don't carry any extra stuff in the vehicles.

We do live on a mountain at 7300 ft (2225 meters) so trips out of town always require a steep climb home. But for around town driving at 30 mph (48 kph) - 55 mph (90 kph), we enjoy ~80% air density, not accounting for lower humidity, which means 20% less drag than those who drive at sea level.

But my ~monthly road trips often involve freeway trips to sea level. Once there, I do stick to the roads that allow me to go 30 mph (48 kph) for long stretches at a time.

 

[Brent@ANParts]

It always comes down to the air! If you're doing lots of 60+ driving or are at lower altitudes it's simply not going to be that efficient, especially if it's truck shaped. For around town stuff the Lightning is an amazing truck, but I would probably want a gas version (or something smaller like the Mach-E) for road trips.

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