On paper they promise miracles. On the road... only what the battery allows them to do. Consumer Reports checked which EVs exceed expectations and which ones fall flat. Spoiler: even stars sometimes run out of steam. So - Consumer Reports official electric vehicle range tests 2025!
In the latest series real-world testing of electric vehicles it is Consumer Reports (CR) (Consumer Reports official electric vehicle range tests 2025) took the cars to a serious challenge – without embellishment, laboratory illusions or mercy. Each vehicle was taken out onto the highway and driven at a constant speed 113 km/h (70 mph) until the battery is completely discharged.
And when we say “perfect,” we really mean it. Even after the car was already panicking on the dashboard 0 kilometers of range, are testers CR continued driving – until the car came to a standstill. In the hard shoulder, without power. Only a call from the tow truck broke the silence.
Real-World Winners and Losers – Consumer Reports Official Electric Vehicle Range Tests 2025
BMW i4 is one of those vehicles that impressed – it drove more than 64 kilometers (40 miles) more than the officially announced range. The same applies to Mercedes-Benz EQE, which is clearly not only synonymous with elegance, but also with surprising efficiency.
On the other side of the spectrum, Ford F-150 Lightningwho failed the test 80 kilometers (50 miles) before its promised border. Also Tesla Model S, otherwise known for its reach, only achieved 589 kilometers (366 miles) instead of declared 660 kilometers (410 miles).
The story is particularly interesting Lucid Air, which is equipped with numerous technological advances and the promise of a 607-kilometer (377-mile) range, but stopped at 543 kilometers (337 miles)Futuristic on paper, but a bit stuffy in reality.
Why lab numbers don't hold up on the highway
Most of the discrepancies between promised and actual reach lie in how The US EPA measures the range of electric vehiclesTheir method involves a mix of city and highway driving, which is not the most representative for EVs. In cities, the battery is often regenerated during braking, while on the highway, the energy goes out... and stays there.
CR therefore warns that these methods should be modernize, as they do not reflect the experiences of a modern driver, who may be driving from Ljubljana to Vienna and does not plan to apply regenerative braking every 300 meters. This is also why –
As he says Chris Hart, senior energy policy analyst at CR: “Today's electric cars are far ahead of regulations. We need more meaningful, modern and, above all, user-friendly measurement standards.”
How Consumer Reports Actually Tests EVs – Consumer Reports Official Electric Vehicle Range Tests 2025
Each vehicle included in the test was purchased anonymously (so as not to get "respected" test specimens), had between 3,200 and 24,000 kilometers (2,000–15,000 miles) on the counter and was prepared according to a specific protocol.
The tires have been checked., pressure set to factory values. The cars were before the test preheated in the garage, air conditioning set to 22°C (72°F), and the ride was with active cruise control and GPS control speed.
If traffic congestion occurred during the test, the driving interrupted and repeated. And yes – the regenerative braking was set to minimum. This was not a city stop-to-stop acceleration test, but a real simulated “road trip”.
The test is not only about kilometers, but also about the charging experience
CR recognizes that range is not the only factor that shapes the user experience with an EV. That's why they've also included charging speed and comfort test.
They also analyzed:
- How fast does the car charge? classical (Level 2) filling stations – i.e. at home or at work.
- How many kilometers does it add per minute to DC fast chargers, where time becomes currency.
- How easy is it to connect the charger: is the plug accessible, intuitive, or does it require acrobatic skills and crawling under the back of the car?
Tesla and Rivian The Tesla plug is easy to use with one hand, and their navigation elegantly guides you to the nearest charging station. Rivian requires a bit more skill, but offers an advanced app and a well-integrated charging station search.
CR emphasizes: “People don’t buy EVs to take them to the racetrack – they buy them to plug into a cable every day. So the experience needs to be seamless.”
Let the electric future be honest – Consumer Reports official electric vehicle range tests 2025
Finally: Consumer Reports With each new EV test, it adds reality to a world often filled with glittering promises. Range is certainly important – but it's even more important to offer drivers realistic expectations, not misleading lab numbers from the past.
If you are in the process of deciding which electric car to buy, this thought should help you: The numbers in the brochures are the beginning, not the end of the story.And thanks to CR, we now have a chapter that reveals what really happens when you press “Start” and hit the highway.
📌 You can find the full results of the latest CR tests and the specifics of individual models on the official website: Consumer Reports EV Range Tests
