Major Elevation Change: Centennial Hills (Las Vegas) to Mt. Charleston

[ChrisInVegas]

I am posting this under “road trips” even though it was so short it doesn’t really qualify. I always wondered what a trip up the mountain would look like in our EV, and I just couldn’t find anything out there with specifics. I could find stuff like “It will be fine” or “I made the drive without any issues”, but I’m a nerd… I want details.

So, if you were curious how a 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat Extended Range would do climbing over 5,000 feet… here you go.

Destination was the old restaurant that burned last year (I think it was last year). Actual address is 5375 Kyle Canyon Rd, 89124.

The drive is 24.7 miles each way with an elevation change from 2,452 to 7,593

Driving up the mountain:

Started at 65% SOC.
Ended at 47% SOC.
Efficiency: 1.0 mi/kWh
Temperature change from 103 (start) to 83 (end)

Driving down the mountain:

Started at 47% SOC.
Ended at 50% SOC.
Efficiency: 12.4 mi/kWh.

Conclusion:

The truck did MUCH better than I thought it would. Apple maps estimates were accurate with arrival SOC. The thing I loved was the drive off the mountain. In our ICE cars, we would always have to ride the brakes on the way down and by the end, the brakes would be hot, smell, and even shudder towards the bottom of the hill. In the Lightning, I just set the cruise speed and it kept me dead on the speed limit.

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[TaxmanHog]

Perfect place for your report.

I forgot to get the exact SOC values from last charge to summit of Mt Greylock, and then values for the trip down, I do know that I might have gained ~ 2-3% IIRC.

After the trip down and then continuing along Rt-2 eastward for ~20 miles I noticed around 7 MPK, when I got to the bridge of flowers, I shut down and restarted to clear the this trip measure for the rest of the return trip home.

 

[On the Road with Ralph]

Last winter, I made a similar trip from Las Vegas up to Mount Charleston, just to show a nine-year-old and her family snow for the first time. Although I have made the serious climb from the Colorado River up to the north-central Arizona highlands of Flagstaff (a climb of nearly 7000 feet) on several occasions, I did not want to embarrass myself in front of this family, so I carefully planned the trip and made sure the truck was nearly fully charged before departure.

As it turned out, I ‘way over-thought the trip. My Lightning was significantly more efficient going up mountain than I expected. I ended up taking the long route, on the backside of the mountain, to return to Vegas. As the OP notes, my range and charge level steadily increased as I came back down.

After nearly 34,000 miles in my SR Pro, I’ve begun to appreciate that speed/winds seem to be a more significant factor in range/efficiency then moderate up-grade climbs, and that payload is virtually unimportant.

Speaking of which, this was the only time I have carried four people in the truck. It is an amazingly comfortable people hauler.

 

[ChrisInVegas]

Last winter, I made a similar trip from Las Vegas up to Mount Charleston, just to show a nine-year-old and her family snow for the first time. Although I have made the serious climb from the Colorado River up to the north-central Arizona highlands of Flagstaff (a climb of nearly 7000 feet) on several occasions, I did not want to embarrass myself in front of this family, so I carefully planned the trip and made sure the truck was nearly fully charged before departure.

As it turned out, I ‘way over-thought the trip. My Lightning was significantly more efficient going up mountain than I expected. I ended up taking the long route, on the backside of the mountain, to return to Vegas. As the OP notes, my range and charge level steadily increased as I came back down.

After nearly 34,000 miles in my SR Pro, I’ve begun to appreciate that speed/winds seem to be a more significant factor in range/efficiency then moderate up-grade climbs, and that payload is virtually unimportant.

Speaking of which, this was the only time I have carried four people in the truck. It is an amazingly comfortable people hauler.

100% on the people-hauler comment. We are a family of four and the kids almost cry when we say we are taking the Tesla Model Y instead of the Lightning. Don't get me wrong, we love our Tesla too, but the Lightning is like riding on air with tons of room.

I am curious to try the same drive this winter to see the difference. That being said, winter here is relative. It barely ever gets below freezing down in the Vegas Valley. Cold means something different to us. If the temp drops below 80, I am grabbing a jacket. ;-)

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