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If you associate the terms Ford and Mustang with brilliant ‘Pony’ cars powered by V6 and V8 engines, then you would be absolutely right. 

But Ford’s latest Mustang doesn’t have the ponies under the bonnet fuelled by gasoline; the new Mach-E is powered by a battery charged with electrical volts. And to demonstrate that this latest electric car has the staying power to overcome range anxiety, the Ford Mustang Mach-E has just set a Guinness World Record for an ultra-efficient trip between John O’Groats and Land’s End. 

A team of drivers covered the 840 miles between the famous points on mainland Britain with an economy score of more than 6.5 miles per kilowatt hour (kWh). 

It saw the Mustang Mach-E achieve more than 500 miles on a charge along Britain’s lengthiest trip, and trebled the target set by Guinness World Records for the new electric vehicle record. 

And if you’re confused by what 6.5 miles per kilowatt hour means, it’s effectively an electric car’s version of miles per gallon (mpg): the miles per kWh figure is a rating of an EV’s efficiency, using electrical energy rather than the more familiar gallons or litres of fuel. The higher the miles per kWh rating, the more efficient is the car. 

The standard battery fitted has a capacity of 88 kWh, equating to a range of more than 500 miles on a charge – 6.5 (m/kWh efficiency) x 88 (kWh battery). It’s significantly further than the official WLTP-derived 379 mile range – itself a considerable distance available on a single charge. 

Only two charging stops were made, requiring less than 45 minutes of charging over the entire trip, thanks to the use of ultra-rapid chargers along the route. Stops were made in Wigan in Lancashire and Cullompton in Devon. 

With the Mustang Mach-E capable of charging at up to 150 kW (adding up to 150 kW into the battery over the course of an hour – almost double the battery’s 88 kWh capacity), drivers can add more than 70 miles of range in just 10 minutes. 

Considering the Highway Code recommends a 15 minute break after every two hours’ driving, the record demonstrates that drivers can complete long-distance EV journeys in no more time than a petrol or diesel model, with charging sessions within the time they would have stopped anyway.  

The Herald:

The trip was completed on public roads by Ford’s Mustang Mach-E team, aiming to set a new benchmark for ‘miles per gallon’ for electric vehicles. Team members included BBC transport correspondent Paul Clifton, and co-drivers Fergal McGrath and Kevin Booker, who both hold existing petrol and diesel economy records. 

They said: “This record is about demonstrating that electric cars are now viable for everyone.  Not just for short urban trips to work or the shops, or as a second car. But for real-world use on long cross-country journeys.  We’ve proved that, with this car, the tipping-point has been reached.” 

So what did Tim Nicklin, Ford UK’s Electrification Manager, think about the car’s performance?  

“The Mustang Mach-E’s efficiency minimised charging along Britain’s longest route and proved itself as a game changer,’” he told us. 

“Ford’s own Go Electric report on consumer perceptions reveals that the average range which the public thinks a fully charged electric car can travel is under 150 miles.  If the Mach-E can achieve well over three times that distance in the hands of professionals, it can easily deliver its official ‘miles per tank’ to owners – and dispense with any previous range anxiety.” 

You can dispense with your electric car range anxiety by checking out the electric cars available at IntelligentCarLeasing.com.