After a few years of delays, the Tesla Cybertruck has finally landed on planet Earth. So what's the first thing I want to do with every new EV? The InsideEVs 70 MPH Highway Range Test, of course.
And that's exactly what I did this week when I rented an all-wheel-drive Foundation Series Cybertruck on Turo. The vehicle had a little over 2,000 miles on the odometer and was completely stock, with no aftermarket accessories that could affect the results.
There have already been a few Cybertruck range tests performed, but here at InsideEVs, we like to do all of our range tests exactly the same way so we can compare vehicle to vehicle as much as possible.
The Cybertruck hasn't been officially EPA range certified yet, but Tesla estimates the all-wheel-drive Foundation Series Cybertruck with the 35" all-terrain tires will have a combined EPA rating of 318 miles. The vehicle will be made available in 2025 with less aggressive all-season tires, and when that arrives, Tesla expects it to have a range rating of 340 miles.
However, 70 mph highway range tests aren't the same as EPA testing protocol, so we aren't trying to prove it right or wrong. We do our highway range testing to help consumers understand what they can expect if they drive the vehicle in similar conditions.
| Test Segment | Miles Driven | Total Miles | Wh/Mi | Mi/kWh | kWh Used |
| 100% to 75% | 77 | 77 | 399 | 2.51 | 31 |
| 75% to 50% | 74 | 151 | 403 | 2.48 | 30 |
| 50% to 25% | 72 | 223 | 406 | 2.46 | 29 |
| 25% to 0% | 69 | 302 | 398 | 2.51 | 30 |
In our extensive testing, Tesla vehicles usually underperform their combined EPA range rating by 10% to 12%, while EVs made by many other brands tend to do better, often exceeding their published range ratings.
The weather was favorable for the test. It was about 60° Fahrenheit when the test began and the temperature gradually increased to 68°F. That combined with the fact that there was very little wind - under 7 mph all day, helped the Cybertruck deliver the good results we saw.
I finished the test with 302 miles driven and a consumption rate of 2.51 miles per kilowatt-hour. The Cybertruck's display hit zero miles remaining and zero battery percentage when we were at 299 miles, and we drove the final three miles utilizing the lower-end battery buffer that many EVs employ to give the user a little more juice beyond zero.
The Cybertruck's battery has a total capacity of 123 kWh, and in this test, the vehicle displayed that I used 120 kWh, eluding that there was a little more "in the tank" if I needed it. I had driven about two miles after the display showed 120 kWh, so I believe the vehicle was just about to hit 121 kWh when I reached my destination.
Therefore, it's fair to assume the vehicle probably could have driven another six to seven more miles before it would have shut down. I don't think it's unreasonable to say it might have reached the 310-mile mark before the battery was completely drained.
My friend, Kyle Conner from the Out Of Spec YouTube channel, ran his tri-motor Cyberbeast until it stopped and used the full 123 kWh. Kyle was able to cover two more miles than I did and finished up with 304 miles driven when the vehicle rolled to a stop.
About our 70 mph highway range tests:
We always like to mention that these range tests aren't perfect. There are variables out of our control, like wind, traffic, topography, and weather. However, we do our best to control what we can and set all the vehicles we test up to the same standards so we can compare them as fairly as possible.
We conduct these 70-mph range tests to provide another data point for potential customers who are looking for as much information on the driving range of a particular EV as possible.
