Vehicles are tested at a top speed of 80 mph in order to calculate the highway mpg estimates.
EPA utilizes five test cycles to represent real-world driving conditions. While it’s true that the test cycle historically labeled as the “highway” test has a top speed of 60 mph, this test is currently meant to represent driving on lower speed highways as well as rural and suburban driving. EPA’s highway mpg estimates are primarily derived from a separate “high speed” test cycle, which has a top speed of 80 mph. The remaining three tests are designed to simulate stop-and-go city driving, high air conditioning use, and driving in cold temperatures. For more information on the five test cycles and how EPA calculates its mpg estimates, go to epa.gov/fueleconomy.
It's the typical EPA range figure that everyone has to use. It's already greater than more than a few mid-size SUVs, such as this BMW: https://www.cars.com/research/bmw-x6_m-2017/
no one expects to get the mpg rating of their combustion engine cars, I don't know why anyone would expect range to be the same. as long as they constantly benchmarking range against the same tests, range numbers are still usefull. I don't know anyone who would expect the listed range when they buy one, it's common sense that the tests are in optimal conditions doing everything possible to get that number as high as possible, just like traditional car numbers.
