Managing editor on YouTube channel Pickup Truck Plus SUV Talk, Jill Ciminillo, got his hands on the new Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossover. She took the opportunity to take a winter trip around Chicago and even Wisconsin.
During the long journey, Jill discusses the Mustang Mach-E as a whole, with a primary focus on its range and performance, as well as a small snow test. She also shares the positives and negatives of the trip. She says that if you live in the northern states and are planning to buy an electric car, this is a mandatory video. Hmm, what went wrong?
We always try to guess what awaits us when it comes to these videos. We suggest that you also place your bets. Maybe the Ford had a much smaller range than Jill expected, the charging infrastructure was limited and some charging stations were not working? Any other assumptions before we start? Keep in mind that people on this YouTube channel don’t appear to own EV, and most of the content is related to gasoline-powered trucks and SUVs.
Right away, Jill notes that the Mach-E is showing only about 180 miles of range with a full charge. It restarts the crossover computer, since the range estimate is partly based on the driving habits of the previous driver. After reconfiguring it, it shows 223 miles, which is still less than its estimated EPA range of 250 miles, but that is due to Chicago’s cold weather.
As expected, cold weather limits the Mach-E’s range, but not significantly. Instead, the main culprit is the highway driving at consistent high speed. Jill still feels great with the Mustang’s reach. In fact, her husband – who says he will never drive a vehicle other than a manual and is not interested in an electric car – would be fine with the Mach-E. Even in winter, he would not experience anxiety when driving 70 or 80 miles to work.
The real problem Jill encounters is related to billing. It takes time to take the Mach-E to a public charging station and adds only about 1% in 45 minutes. She realizes that she actually used more energy just driving to the station, but she doesn’t have a level 2 charger at home.
Jill reminds people who are considering an EV that it is critical to have a level 2 home charging system. Connecting to your standard wall outlet would take 96 hours to fully charge the Mach-E. With a Level 2 system, that time drops to about 11 to 14 hours. Of course, this is something that many of our readers are aware of, but you must remember that there are new readers every day, and many people who watch these videos have no idea of EVs. We are happy that Jill is being clear about the loading situation.
Watch the video for all the details. Then scroll down and leave us your comments in the comments section below.