I have a 2023 SR and noticed a lot of people posting that they get around 1.9-1.8 mi/kWh on the freeway in ideal weather. Even when it’s a perfect 60-70°F, the best I’ve seen is 1.6 on the freeway and about 2.0 in the city. This is based on real-time readings, not the final trip summary. Am I missing something?
You’re asking about efficiency, not performance. The ER battery does improve performance—higher horsepower, higher towing capacity, and more sustained power output.
Efficiency-wise, the SR should technically be better since it isn’t carrying around the extra battery weight.
If you’re driving 65+ mph on the freeway, you’re going to see under 1.9 mi/kWh. I usually drive around 75 mph in a 70 zone and get about 1.8 mi/kWh.
If you slow down to 60 mph, you’ll hit or exceed the advertised 320 miles of range. I can get 2.3 mi/kWh or better at that speed.
If you’re doing a lot of red-light-to-red-light driving in the city, your efficiency will drop too.
Ford really should add a ‘Chill Mode’ to help conserve battery life—like what they offer on the Mach-E.
@Lewis
Even at 60 mph, I’m lucky to get 2.0 mi/kWh. No wind or a slight tailwind, plus perfect temperatures, and I might see 2.1. Otherwise, not happening. 
Bridget said:
@Lewis
Even at 60 mph, I’m lucky to get 2.0 mi/kWh. No wind or a slight tailwind, plus perfect temperatures, and I might see 2.1. Otherwise, not happening.
I’ve done a 30-minute trip at 60 mph and averaged 2.2+ mi/kWh in 60-70°F temps.
I drive a 2024 Flash, normal mode, no one-pedal driving (I hate it), and cruise control with the AC on.
@Lewis
If I have a tailwind, I’ve seen 2.1-2.2 a handful of times, but it’s rare. Could be my all-terrain tires—they came with the truck when I bought it.
Bridget said:
@Lewis
Even at 60 mph, I’m lucky to get 2.0 mi/kWh. No wind or a slight tailwind, plus perfect temperatures, and I might see 2.1. Otherwise, not happening.
Wheels and tires can easily make a 10% difference.
@Callum
Yeah, I have the stock 20” wheels, but they’re wrapped in Scorpion A/T tires. The dealer also did a 2” front lift before I bought it, which probably doesn’t help either.
Bridget said:
@Callum
Yeah, I have the stock 20” wheels, but they’re wrapped in Scorpion A/T tires. The dealer also did a 2” front lift before I bought it, which probably doesn’t help either.
That 10% loss in efficiency is probably worth the extra traction, though.
@Lewis
I routinely get 2.1 mi/kWh at 70 mph.
Under ideal temps (65-80°F), on level ground, keeping speeds under 65 mph, I consistently get 2.3-2.4 mi/kWh in my SR XLT.
In colder weather (around 30°F), staying under 60 mph, I see 1.7-1.8 mi/kWh.
The biggest factors are speed and temperature.
- Speed: You’re driving a 7,000+ lb brick down the highway, and air resistance increases exponentially with speed. Anything over 62-65 mph kills efficiency.
- Temperature: If the battery pack is under 40-45°F, efficiency drops. Below 30°F? Expect a 30% range loss.
As for performance, the ER has more horsepower, but because it’s heavier and usually comes with bigger wheels/tires, the 0-60 times are very similar to the SR. The extra weight offsets some of the power gain.
@Mickey
Thanks for the detailed response! Quick question—when you say you get 2.4 mi/kWh at 65 mph, is that based on real-time readings while driving, or the final trip summary?
Ryan said:
@Mickey
Thanks for the detailed response! Quick question—when you say you get 2.4 mi/kWh at 65 mph, is that based on real-time readings while driving, or the final trip summary?
Both. I’ve found that the trip meter is very accurate in predicting range and efficiency. If I drive 40 miles and use 15% battery, I know I can drive another 40 miles on the next 15%, assuming conditions stay the same.
I have an SR. The ER has about 20-25% more horsepower at the top end, but the same torque at low speeds. It’s noticeably quicker I think 0-60 is around 3.8s for ER vs. 4.2s for SR.
That said, my SR is still the fastest vehicle I’ve ever driven by 3 full seconds, so I’m not complaining. 
Efficiency-wise, I drive 50/50 highway and city and average 2.3 mi/kWh. At 70 mph, I get 1.8 mi/kWh. If I’m just cruising at 40 mph, I can hit 3.2 mi/kWh.
A few things to check:
- Did you modify your truck? Leveling/lifting can hurt efficiency.
- Are you still on stock tires? If not, what’s the tire pressure?
- Do you use 100% regenerative braking? The truck will tell you if you recover 100% energy.
These are common reasons for poor efficiency. The SR vs. ER difference is negligible in terms of efficiency.
@CodeCrafter
What’s the ideal tire pressure?
Josiah said:
@CodeCrafter
What’s the ideal tire pressure?
Check inside the driver’s door. It’s listed there.
Josiah said:
@CodeCrafter
What’s the ideal tire pressure?
Check inside the driver’s door. It’s listed there.
Actually, Ford issued a TSB recommending 42 PSI for all Lightnings, regardless of what’s on the door sticker. The A/T tires originally said 36 PSI, but that was based on the gas F-150, which is lighter.
Josiah said:
@CodeCrafter
What’s the ideal tire pressure?
I think it’s around 42-46 PSI—check the door jamb for the official number.
Something seems off…
- Are you hauling extra weight?
- Towing?
- Mods?
- Driving like an ahole?
- How fast are you going?