- The top-spec Nissan Ariya with 20-inch wheels has an EPA-rated range of 257 miles in the combined cycle.
- At highway speed, Nissan's electric crossover is rated at 249 miles.
- Can it reach these numbers in the real world? Let's find out.
Nissan should know a thing or two about making electric cars. It brought the Leaf into this world, and that was the best-selling EV globally for many years, until Tesla got into the game and turned things up a notch.
So when Nissan debuted the Ariya, its first proper new EV after the Leaf, expectations were high. It’s a battery-powered crossover that needs to win over buyers who are also looking at the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, and a whole lot more. In other words, it's a tough crowd, and to succeed here, an EV needs to deliver on its promises.
Check out our review to learn about the Ariya and what it's like to live with every day. One thing we didn't cover was a real-world range test, but InsideEVs contributor and EV testing guru Tom Moloughney took a top-spec 2025 Nissan Ariya Platinum+ e-4ORCE (try saying that four times in a row) out for a spin. Can the Japanese EV can deliver its rated range figures?
This particular Ariya has an 87-kilowatt-hour battery pack—the largest of the two offered by Nissan—and its 20-inch wheels are also the largest available on the crossover. The window sticker says it can go up to 257 miles on the combined EPA cycle, and 249 miles on the highway EPA cycle. In this case, the test was done at a constant 70 miles per hour on the highway, so the electric crossover needs to deliver at least 249 miles.
With a fully charged battery, the car set off on the New Jersey turnpike with the tire pressure set to the manufacturer's recommended figure, the most efficient driving mode selected, and the climate control system set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Outside, the ambient temperature ranged between 50 and 60 degrees.
After using 50% of the battery, the car had driven 124 miles and had an average energy efficiency of 3.1 miles/kWh, which is not bad considering the 20-inch wheels. With 25% left in the battery, the Ariya maintained its 3.1 mi/kWh efficiency, while the odometer went up to 183 miles.
At 10% SoC, the car threw a “Battery too low; Please charge now” warning, with a 25-mile estimated range remaining, while the distance to the charger was 30 miles. Even with the display 0% left in the battery, the Ariya kept on at 70 mph—and kept going for another seven miles before rolling to a stop.
The final result was 249.6 miles and an average efficiency of 3.1 mi/kWh. That’s about as close as you can get to the EPA highway range rating.
That said, it’s worth noting that there are longer-range EVs in the same segment as the Ariya. The extended-range Ford Mustang Mach-E went 285 miles on the same test, while the pre-facelift Tesla Model Y with all-wheel drive drove 276 miles. However, it’s always nice to know that you can achieve the EPA range in the real world. That gives you confidence to plan trips based on the official rating without experiencing range anxiety.
