2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

ALISTAIR WEAVER: A few weeks ago, we published the results of our Edmunds' EV range test based on real world driving. They were startling. While some brands-- most notably Tesla-- failed to hit their official EPA figures, others such as Porsche dramatically overperformed. You can read all about it at edmunds.com/range. Not surprisingly, the results generated plenty of debate. And Tesla were quickly on the phone. Their engineers argued that we'd underestimated the real range. Even when they indicated range at zero, they said, there's still a safety buffer. And this buffer they reckoned. And Tesla would hit its EPA figures which are measured when the battery's spent. It sounded like a challenge. So we headed to a top secret test facility in the Mojave Desert to find out what happens when you run an EV to a stop. In this film, we're going to reveal the results and more importantly explain what they mean to you, the EV consumer. Here's our head of testing, Jonathan Elfalan, in the desert. JONATHAN ELFALAN: So we've gathered arguably the most important EVs of the moment. We've got the Ford Mustang Mach-E. We've got the Volkswagen ID.4. And we've got the Tesla Model 3. All three of them have been provided to us by their manufacturer. But we also brought along the Model 3 and the Model Y that we used in the original test because we own them. These are real cars that we paid real money for. We've plugged these cars in overnight. They sat on the chargers. They charged to full capacity at the same ambient temperature. And we've installed GPS base data loggers from industry experts Racelogic. And we're going to use those data loggers to accurately measure distance. We actually set the tire pressures overnight. We've allowed them to come to temperature. And now, we've aired them down to the exact specification from the manufacturer that appears on the door. We're basically running these cars to manufacture spec with full batteries. And this is basically the most controlled that you can get. And now, we're going to drive these cars all into they stop. [MUSIC PLAYING] So it's a 7.5-mile oval. And we're doing one hour driver stints. All the cars are going out in 30-second gaps. So they're running all at the same time. They're hitting all at the same time. For every single step, the car will be driven by a different driver so that it's not one driver in each car so that every driver or every car gets a fair shake at this. And by driving the cars at a constant 65 miles an hour up until they reach zero, everything is normalized. So it's a completely level playing field. [MUSIC PLAYING] ALISTAIR WEAVER: That's actually my wife's car. She's so pleased we're putting miles on the lease. When the indicated range is zero, all of our cars were running at 65 miles an hour. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I'm pulling off to the gravel right now. Volkswagen completely dead in the water. [MUSIC PLAYING] - Hey, look at that. It's playing a little dance song because your car stopped. And now you're stranded. Just reached 0 miles an hour. I'm at marker nine. ALISTAIR WEAVER: With the main batteries dead, each of the cars are for just enough power and that 12-volt batteries to get them onto the recovery truck. After all of that, we headed back to the office or at least our home offices and crunched the numbers. Here, we're going to give you the headlines. But if you want all the details, head to the article at edmunds.com/teslachallenge. First, we took a look at how long each car was able to sustain 65 miles an hour after their onboard computers registered to 0 miles of range. Jonathan, why 65 miles an hour? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Well, we picked 65 miles an hour because it's a safe highway speed. And if a vehicle isn't able to maintain that at a minimum, then it probably shouldn't be on the road at that point. ALISTAIR WEAVER: So should we get into the first results? Drumroll please. [DRUMS] So here we go. In reverse order, the Mach-E went an extra 5.8 miles. The ID.4 went 9.4 miles. The Model Y performance, 10.3, the Model 3 Standard Range Plus, 12.6. And topping the list, the Model 3 Long Range, 22 miles. Then we looked at the total distance they traveled after it indicated zero until they literally ground to a halt. So here it goes. Mach-E, 7.3 miles. ID.4, 12.9. Model Y, 12.6. Model 3 Standard Range Plus, 17.6, Model 3 Long Range, 25.9. Well these results showed was a big disparity not only between the different brands, but even between the Teslas themselves. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Right. So the Model 3 Long Range in the test went over double the distance of the Model Y. Now, we're aware that age may play a factor here. Our Model Y performance has just over 10,000 miles on the odometer versus the Model 3 Long Range which is brand new. 400 miles was built just before the test. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Literally the week before, right? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Literally a week before the test. But to be honest, the size of the gap was still a little bit of a surprise. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Certainly was. Now, to give Tesla every chance of success, we decided to run a control test on our Edmunds EV Range Loop in Southern California. This time, we took along both the Model 3 Long Range that Tesla provided and our own Model Y Performance. We run both to the end of the battery life on real roads. This time, the Model Y managed 11 miles past 0. And the Model 3 long range, 17.3. But that's actually less than the results we achieved at the test track which was even more of a surprise, Jonathan. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Right, so our assumption was that a vehicle would consume more energy maintaining a speed of 65 miles an hour than it would to travel on city streets which would result in a shorter buffer or reserve range. So we put these results to Tesla. We said that the buffer is a combination of near past conditions and instantaneous conditions. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Which means, presumably, what's just happened and what's happening now if you're not an engineer. Right? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Correct. So for these reasons, a buffer cannot be determined to a number exactly every time. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Right, so there is no fixed buffer. JONATHAN ELFALAN: There's no fixed buffer. ALISTAIR WEAVER: In a Tesla. JONATHAN ELFALAN: No. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Got it. The other interesting thing about that Tesla, as well, though, then we reran our Model Y performance. We got exactly the same range figure as we did when we originally tested it last December. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, I mean, it was a nice validation of our methodology. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Right. So where does all this leave us? Well, let's go back to Tesla's original claim that we were underestimating the car's real range because we weren't including the buffer and that if we added the buffer, they would hit the EPA figures. So taking all our newfound knowledge, let's look at the Edmunds EV range table. So which Tesla is now hit the EPA range? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Well, the Model 3 Long Range and Model S performance I think we can safely say yes. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Model X Long Range, kind of a maybe? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Maybe, maybe not-- not sure. ALISTAIR WEAVER: I'm definitely no. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Model 3 Standard Range, Model 3 Performance, and the Model Y Performance-- definitely no. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Our conclusion is there for a bit-- yes, no, maybe. But then honestly, it's all a bit academic. In the real world, which is what we all really care about, you'd be crazy to tell your EV even within 10 miles of predicted range. Not only might you get stranded, but running to extremes can also do damage to your battery. JONATHAN ELFALAN: There's a reason why Tesla and other manufacturers recommend only charging to 90% or less on a regular basis. ALISTAIR WEAVER: The Edmunds EV range test is all about offering a useful real world alternative to the EPA's more laboratory-based approach. We don't pretend it's perfect. And if you live in a cold climate or drive aggressively, don't expect to match our figures. But it's based on the hundreds of thousands of miles we're now done in EVs. We do believe it's a good approximation of what you might hope to achieve in everyday life. The fact that most Teslas don't match their EPA rating in our tests, well, just about every other manufacturer comfortably exceeds theirs doesn't make a Tesla a bad choice-- far from it. But what it does tell you is that in such an emerging market, not everything is quite what it seems. And you can't just rely on the government figures. There's certainly much more to come from us on this subject. So if you want to follow the story, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and head to edmunds.com/range for all the latest test results. And, of course, comment below. I'm 100% sure that many of you will. Thanks for watching. [MUSIC PLAYING]