Hauling heavy loads reduces EV range, AAA finds — here's how much

Gas engines have been around long enough for everyone to figure out that towing and hauling heavy loads negatively impacts fuel economy. Though their popularity and sales numbers are growing, electric vehicles – especially electric pickup trucks – don’t enjoy the same depth of experience. That said, we’re learning just as quickly as new EV models hit the street, and AAA’s new study on the effects of payload on electric driving range helps clear up some of the mystery.

The organization got its hands on a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning for testing and set out to answer two questions:

• How does road load force for the loaded test condition compare to the unloaded condition?

• How are driving range and efficiency affected by the added payload?