33 Months of EV driving...

  • From all of us at Scout Motors, welcome to the Scout Community! We created this community to provide Scout vehicle owners, enthusiasts, and curiosity seekers with a place to engage in discussion, suggestions, stories, and connections. Supportive communities are sometimes hard to find, but we're determined to turn this into one.

    Additionally, Scout Motors wants to hear your feedback and speak directly to the rabid community of owners as unique as America. We'll use the Scout Community to deliver news and information on events and launch updates directly to the group. Although the start of production is anticipated in 2026, many new developments and milestones will occur in the interim. We plan to share them with you on this site and look for your feedback and suggestions.

    How will the Scout Community be run? Think of it this way: this place is your favorite local hangout. We want you to enjoy the atmosphere, talk to people who share similar interests, request and receive advice, and generally have an enjoyable time. The Scout Community should be a highlight of your day. We want you to tell stories, share photos, spread your knowledge, and tell us how Scout can deliver great products and experiences. Along the way, Scout Motors will share our journey to production with you.

    Scout is all about respect. We respect our heritage. We respect the land and outdoors. We respect each other. Every person should feel safe, included, and welcomed in the Scout Community. Being kind and courteous to the other forum members is non-negotiable. Friendly debates are welcomed and often produce great outcomes, but we don't want things to get too rowdy. Please take a moment to consider what you post, especially if you think it may insult others. We'll do our best to encourage friendly discourse and to keep the discussions flowing.

    So, welcome to the Scout Community! We encourage you to check back regularly as we plan to engage our members, share teasers, and participate in discussions. The world needs Scouts™. Let's get going.


    We are Scout Motors.
I recently spent a month in the Los Angeles area and was getting between 4 and 8 miles/kWh in the Lighting---avoiding the freeways is both faster and more efficient (cheaper). At 4 miles/kWh, I can get 4 miles/kWh*131 kWh = 525 miles; at 8 miles/kWh, I can get >1,000 miles. Many times I returned "home" from a 40 mile round trip errand-run with less than 5% of the battery used. I did have an elderly family member in the vehicle, so I was especially careful about fast starts and stops. But it showed me what was possible even in an "inefficient" truck. No, I'm not saying everyone will get this. And this is obviously not road trip mileage. But it's certainly possible with careful driving.

I'm home now. We're finally getting snow in our mountain town (we're about 50+ inches below normal right now, so I haven't had much opportunity to test the Lightning in the snow). The Lightning shows itself to be fantastic in another way: its performance in snow and on ice is just incredible even with the low-quality OEM tires.
 
Last edited:
I recently spent a month in the Los Angeles area and was getting between 4 and 8 miles/kWh in the Lighting---avoiding the freeways is both faster and more efficient (cheaper). At 4 miles/kWh, I can get 4 miles/kWh*131 kWh = 525 miles; at 8 miles/kWh, I can get >1,000 miles. Many times I returned "home" from a 40 mile round trip errand-run with less than 5% of the battery used. I did have an elderly family member in the vehicle, so I was especially careful about fast starts and stops. But it showed me what was possible even in an "inefficient" truck. No, I'm not saying everyone will get this. And this is obviously not road trip mileage. But it's certainly possible with careful driving.

I'm home now. We're finally getting snow in our mountain town (we're about 50+ inches below normal right now, so I haven't had much opportunity to test the Lightning in the snow). The Lightning shows itself to be fantastic in another way: its performance in snow and on ice is just incredible even with the low-quality OEM tires.
That’s useful data. Speed has a much bigger effect on efficiency for an ev than for an ice car, and range estimates seem to be focused on freeway speeds. When you’re traveling 30-40mph it can make a big difference in your range.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SpaceEVDriver
That’s useful data. Speed has a much bigger effect on efficiency for an ev than for an ice car, and range estimates seem to be focused on freeway speeds. When you’re traveling 30-40mph it can make a big difference in your range.
Yeah. The heat-waste energy losses by an ICE are so high that while it's the same physics for loss at speed, there's such a large base inefficiency that it's not as obvious to ICEs when driving at higher speeds.

The EPA "test cycle" weights the city 55% and highway 45%. But the "test" is more of an applied model. The manufacturers don't drive the vehicle in the real world, they run the test on a dynometer and then apply one of several reduction factors (usually a simple 70% multiplier) to account for wind resistance and "aggressive driving" at highway speeds.