It was the Mustang Mach-E’s turn to have a range of 70 mph tested by InsideEVs, and it didn’t disappoint. We tested a four-wheel drive Grabber Blue Launch Edition Mach-E with the extended range battery pack and were quite surprised with the results.
This version of the Mach-E has a combined EPA range of 270 miles (434 km) per charge (check out our Mustang Mach-E ultimate charging guide video here). While it’s important to note that Ford’s tests actually yielded a rating of 276 miles, the automaker voluntarily lowered it to 270 miles, which is permissible under EPA guidelines.
But we’ve found it’s much more appropriate to compare our 70 mph range tests to the actual results of the EPA range tests. In that case, this version of the Mach-E delivered a highway range of 249.2 miles (401 km).
However, on a sunny New Jersey day, in near-perfect driving range conditions, our Mach-E drove past its 249.2 mile EPA highway range, then past its overall 270 mile range rating, and kept going until the trip meter reads 282.5 miles when the state of charge eventually reached 0%.
At that point, the estimated range remaining said the vehicle could drive an additional 3 miles. That’s an impressive 14.5% further than the EPA highway range and 5.5% more than the combined EPA range.
We achieved an average of a very respectable 3.3 mi / kWh (18.79 kWh / 100km), helped by the weather. It was in the low 70 ° F (22 ° C) for most of the ride, so we didn’t have to use any heating or cooling. This allowed us to use 98% of the battery for propulsion, while only 2% went to additional accessories.
There’s no question that we wouldn’t have gone this far if the heating or cooling had been used, which is why we always point out that each real-world range test will yield slightly different results.
As with all of our range tests, we don’t rely on the speedometer accuracy and always set the speed to GPS. We also set the tire pressure according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, check the wind and put the vehicle in an ECO or range mode. In the case of the Mach-E, the “Whisper” drive mode offers the most efficient driving selection. We then ride on loops to help compensate for height differences.
About our highway range tests:
We always want to mention that these range tests are not perfect. There are variables that we have no control over, such as wind, traffic, topography and weather. However, we do our best to check what we can.
We run these tests for a range of 110 km / h to provide a different data point for potential customers who are looking for as much information as possible about the range of a particular electric car.
It’s uncommon for our 70-mph highway range test to end with our vehicle traveling beyond the EPA’s combined range that happened with the Mach-E. It’s not rare, however, that we beat the EPA rating for freeways, as that happens over 50% of the time.
The Mach-E beat both by a wide margin, more than any other EV besides the Porsche Taycan, which always outperforms its EPA range regardless of test conditions.
So watch the video and let us know what you think. Does this move the needle at all for those considering a Mach-E? Keep in mind that this isn’t even the longest range Mach-E available, that distinction belongs to the California Route 1 Edition with an estimated range of 305 mi EPA.
If everything goes according to plan, in the near future we’ll ask one of them to repeat this test and see if it becomes the first EV we’ve tested to pass the 300-mile mark in our 70-mph highway test. Although we have also lined up a 2021 Long Range Model 3 so stay tuned.