A Ford Mustang is blazing a path through the Guinness World Records book.
The all-electric Mach-E has set a new benchmark for range, traveling 569.64 miles on a single charge. It was part of a 24-hour trek across northern England, which included urban and rural driving conditions. The achievement dethrones the prior record of 563.97 miles, held by Chinese automaker Zeekr, according to Interesting Engineering and a Ford press release.
"Such endeavors are important to show that electric vehicles can be a major part of the future transport mix," the Automobile Association's Edmund King said in a press release from Bridgestone, a partner in the project. The Mach-E used Bridgestone tires during the run.
The association provided official judging for the carefully scrutinized trek, according to press releases and media reports.
The Mustang's achievement clobbers the EV's listed range of 320 miles with the "premium model." It also gives a horse kick to so-called range anxiety — the increasingly unfounded fear that an EV will leave you stranded, powerless along the road.
Bloomberg reported last year that the average EV range in the United States was 291 miles, a quadrupling since 2011. And it's likely that more world records will be broken soon. Toyota is working on an EV with a 900-mile range that charges in 10 minutes.
The average American drives about 39.7 miles a day, easily within the limits of most EVs, according to Kelley Blue Book.
"It is incredible to see how far we have come with EV technology and efficiency," Kevin Booker, one of the Mach-E test drivers, said in the Bridgestone story.
Booker is no stranger to EV performance. He has set several records for ultra-efficient EV driving, according to the report.
"Breaking this record has been an exhilarating journey and a powerful demonstration of what electric vehicles can achieve," he added.
EVs are one of the best ways to reduce heat-trapping air pollution, which is warming our world and hurting our health, according to the U.S. Transportation Department. That report cites increased risk for asthma, bronchitis, and heart attacks as concerns.
Other government data from the U.S. Department of Energy shows that parking a gas burner in favor of an EV can prevent thousands of pounds of smog a year, even in states like West Virginia, where the dominant source of electricity to charge them is coal.
Importantly, you can save up to $1,500 a year on fuel and certain maintenance costs. Tax credits of up to $4,000 to $7,500 for used or new EVs, respectively, help to make them more affordable, too, the DOE reveals.
For reference, the five-passenger Mach-E has a base price of around $40,000, per Ford. Tesla lists the popular Model Y as starting at $31,490.
Booker told Bridgestone that he wants his EV escapades to showcase how much battery technology has improved in recent years.
"We hope this inspires more people to consider electric vehicles for their everyday travel," he said in the press release.
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