Ford’s latest all-electric car, the Mustang Mach-E, has become a Guinness World Record holder after driving between John O’Groats and Land’s End with only two charges.
Independently verified data showed that the Ford Mustang Mach-E travelled over 6.5 miles per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electrical energy.
With 88kWh of available battery capacity, the efficiency achieved reflects well over 500 miles of range, adding more than 120 miles to Mustang Mach-E’s official 379-mile range – and trebling the target set by Guinness World Record for this new electric vehicle record.
The record-breaking performance on Britain’s most lengthy journey necessitated stopping for under 45 minutes of charging.
Leaving John O’Groats on a full charge, the 840 miles to Land’s End – equivalent to almost driving up Mount Everest – required only two main charging stops at Wigan, North West England, and Cullompton, Devon.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E team took on setting a new benchmark “miles per gallon” for electric vehicles to help banish range anxiety fears. Efficiently tackling the UK’s most extreme direct distance with quick charge stops proves the Mustang Mach-E’s viability for all everyday journeys.
With the Highway Code recommending a break from driving at least 15 minutes every two hours, the record feat shows that safety-conscious drivers pause journeys longer to refresh than charge their vehicles.
World record team members Paul Clifton, BBC transport correspondent, and co-drivers Fergal McGrath and Kevin Booker already hold 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.
‘The Ford Mustang Mach-E’s range and efficiency make it an everyday car for tackling unpredictable journey patterns. We did a full day’s testing totalling 250 miles and still had 45 per cent battery charge on our return.”
Fast charging the rear-wheel-drive extended range Mustang Mach-E, which set the record, at 150kW adds around 73 miles of driving range within 10 minutes of charging.
Receiving the Guinness World Record on behalf of Ford, UK electrification manager Tim Nicklin said: ‘The Mustang Mach-E’s efficiency minimised charging along Britain’s longest route and proved itself as a game-changer.
‘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.’
The Ford Mustang Mach-E world record team was supported on their overnight journey from the tip of Scotland to the western end of Cornwall by the AA’s current Patrols of the Year for roadside assistance and recovery, Ben Sheridan and Simon Blake, respectively, co-driven by Vince Crane and Dave Baker.
Their central charging locations were run by BP pulse at Wigan and Ionity at Cullompton, which are among over 15,000 total which can be located, navigated to and paid for in the Ford Pass app.
Official record broken
The lowest energy consumption driving from John O’Groats to Land’s End in an electric car is 6.54 miles per kWh, achieved by Kevin Booker, Paul Clifton (both UK) and Fergal McGrath (Ireland) from 3-4 July 2021.
