Electric SUV claims longest distance between charges on UK roads – and managed 21 miles after empty
The Ford Mustang Mach-E has broken the Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by an electric car on a single charge.Â
In an attempt staged on 27 July, a UK-based team sponsored by fleet management provider Webfleet travelled 569 miles and 3379ft in the electric SUV - an endeavour that took just over 24 hours.Â
The previous record was set in September last year by Chinese company Zeekr's autonomous division, which completed a 563.971-mile journey in Hangzhou, China. Â
The new record was "meticulously documented with independently verified video footage, odometer readings, GPS and battery-level data from Webfleet", the new record holders said. Guinness World Records has acknowledged it as the longest journey by an electric car on a single charge.Â
The specific Mustang variant chosen for the record was the Mach-E Premium Extended Range - selected for its more efficient single-motor powertrain and large, 91kWh battery. It averaged 6.25 miles per kilowatt hour during the journey, far surpassing the 3.8mpkWh that Mach-E is capable of according to the WLTP combined cycle.Â
Notably, the car travelled 21 miles even after its battery reached 0% capacity.
Webfleet notes that the car's smaller, 18in wheels were important too, because of the enhanced comfort they provided over the course of the lengthy record run. They were wrapped in Bridgestone's efficiency-optimised EV tyres.Â
The record run was staged on public roads in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire - and included a mix of road types "to emulate real-world driving conditions", said Webfleet.
At the wheel for the attempt were Kevin Booker and Sam Clarke, who already held various records between them for fuel economy and EV efficiency runs, most recently achieving the same record for electric vans with a 311-mile run in a Fiat E-Scudo.Â
Webfleet, sponsor of both that run and this latest endeavour, is a provider of fleet management solutions owned by tyre manufacturer Bridgestone. It claims to be used by more than 60,000 businesses worldwide to improve the efficiency, safety and sustainability of their vehicle fleets.
Beverley Wise, Webfleet's UK and Ireland regional director for Bridgestone Mobility Solutions, said: “This record is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in this endeavour.
“It represents a significant milestone in the electrification of road transport and demonstrates the potential of electric vehicles when supported by innovative Bridgestone tyre design and advanced fleet management technology.â€
This is the verified longest distance travelled by an electric production car, but Mercedes-Benz's streamlined EQXX concept travelled 747 miles on a single charge from Stuttgart to Silverstone in 2022.Â