It was the Mustang Mach-E's turn to get 70-mph range tested by InsideEVs, and it did not disappoint. We tested a Grabber Blue First Edition all-wheel-drive Mach-E with the extended range battery pack and were pretty surprised with the results.
This version of the Mach-E has a combined EPA range rating of 270 miles (434 km) per charge (check out our Mustang Mach-E ultimate charging guide video here). Although it's important to note that Ford's testing actually yielded a rating of 276 miles, but the automaker voluntarily lowered it to 270 miles, which is allowed under EPA guidelines.
But we've found it's much more appropriate to compare our 70-mph range tests with the actual highway range results of the EPA range testing. In that case, this version of the Mach-E returned a highway range of 249.2 mi (401 km).
However, on a sunny day in New Jersey, in near-perfect driving range conditions, our Mach-E drove past its 249.2 mi EPA highway range, then past its overall range rating of 270 miles, and kept going until the trip odometer read 282.5 miles when the state of charge finally hit 0%.
At that point, the estimated remaining range was saying the vehicle could go on for another 3 miles. That's an impressive 14.5% farther than the EPA highway range and 5.5% more than the combined EPA range rating.
We averaged a very respectable 3.3 mi/kWh (18.79 kWh/100km), partly assisted by the weather. It was in the low 70° F (22°C) for the majority of the drive, so we didn't need to use any heating or cooling. That allowed us to utilize 98% of the battery for propulsion, with only 2% going to ancillary accessories.
There's no doubt we wouldn't have gone as far if the heating or cooling were used, which is why we always point out that every real-world range test will yield slightly different results.
As with all of our range tests we don't rely on the speedometer's accuracy and always set the speed to GPS. We also set the tire pressure to the manufacturer's recommendation, check the wind, and place the vehicle in an ECO or range mode. In the case of the Mach-E, the "Whisper" driving mode offers the most efficient driving selection. We then and drive on loops to help offset elevation changes.
More 70-mph range tests and charging info
About our highway range tests:
We always like to mention that these range tests aren't perfect. There are variables out of our control like wind, traffic, topography, and weather. However, we do our best to control what we can.
We do these 70 mph range tests to provide another data point for potential customers that are looking for as much information on the driving range of a particular EV as they can get.
Outperforming the EPA highway range
It's not often that our 70-mph highway range test ends with our vehicle driving farther than the EPA combined range which happened with the Mach-E. However, it isn't rare that we beat the EPA highway rating, as that happens more than 50% of the time.
The Mach-E beat both of those by a wide margin, more so than any other EV besides the Porsche Taycan, which always outperforms its EPA range regardless of the testing conditions.
So check out the video and let us know what you think. Does this move the needle at all for those considering a Mach-E? Remember, this isn't even the longest range Mach-E available, that distinction belongs to the California Route 1 Edition with a 305 mi EPA estimated range rating.
If all goes as planned, we'll be getting one of those in the near future to repeat this test and see if it becomes the first EV we've tested to eclipse the 300-mile mark in our 70-mph highway range test. Although, we do have a 2021 Long Range Model 3 lined up also, so stay tuned.
Source: State Of Charge