Worst-case Scenario Range Estimates for each battery type (my calculations)

[E90400K]

Less than 25% of what?

Electric vehicles (EVs) typically recover about 60 to 70% of the kinetic energy during braking through regenerative braking. On average, this can translate to around 22% of the total driving energy being recaptured, with some models achieving higher efficiencies in specific conditions.​

Regenerative is a big benefit for the Truck in particular because it's particularly well-suited for, if not specifically designed for, local-use runabout purposes rather than as a Highway Cruiser.

Here we go again... 22% is less than 25%, isn't it.

 

[Dorbiman]

I think the biggest difference is consumer EVs don't have multispeed transmissions like ICEVs. Gearing for lower RPMs allow fairly inefficient vehicles to achieve decent mileage

 

[AZFox]

Considering EV lose between 15% to 35% efficiency in cold weather operation (depending on manufacturer and model), whereas ICEV lose just a few percent (if that).

First of all, fortunately that loss can be mitigated by pre-conditioning.

Secondly, even without that EVs still have an efficiency advantage.

For example, if @GaRailroaders's Leaf achieves 123 MPGe ("MPG equivalent") in good weather and loses 25% efficiency it's still getting 92 MPGe in city driving, which is pretty good!

So even in cold weather an EV powertrain provides a significant efficiency advantage over a less-efficient ICEV powertrain with something like eighty times the number of moving parts.

Incidentally, Slate has claimed a combined MPG equivalent of 96 for the Truck.

 

[AZFox]

Here we go again... 22% is less than 25%, isn't it.

Indeed, but what you wrote is misleading because you didn't specify that your percentage was of total driving energy rather than kinetic energy during braking.

To summarize...

During braking, ICEVs convert the vehicle's kinetic energy to heat energy and dissipate the heat into the air. Electric vehicles can use regenerative braking to recapture 60 to 70% of kinetic energy instead.

That's a big deal.

Even without that, an EV powertrain provides a significant efficiency advantage over a less-efficient ICEV powertrain with its vastly higher number of moving parts.

 

[AZFox]

EV do better in urban traffic environments because EV consume very little energy at idle (i.e. not moving) so there is much less heat loss as compared to ICEV.

That may contribute, but it's mostly other things that invert the city/highway proportions for EVs.

ICEVs inherently waste around 70% of the energy in gasoline. That's especially a bummer when the vehicle isn't moving, hence we have the annoying start/stop systems.

 

[AZFox]

I think the biggest difference is consumer EVs don't have multispeed transmissions like ICEVs. Gearing for lower RPMs allow fairly inefficient vehicles to achieve decent mileage

Yes that's part of it for sure.

Aerodynamic dag contributes a lot. EV motors are more energy efficient under a moderate load than they are under a heavy load when pushing a lot of wind.

See also this thread:
You can go fast or you can go far, but you can't do both

I think battery characteristics also contribute. Slower battery drain is more efficient than faster battery drain.

Regenerative braking in the City and inherent inefficiency on the Highway provide a on-two punch that favors the former over the latter for EVs.