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Tesla Model Y Vs Ford Mustang Mach-E: The Toughest EV Test Yet! Range & Charging Comparison

Charging and range are the 2 main pillars on which EVs stand. The better these two are, the easier to use the car is. There is a difference between various cars and how they use these two factors to their advantage. While Teslas are notoriously efficient when it comes to battery management, other manufacturers are trying their best to catch up. Battery efficiency can change depending on the type of road and driving style. On uphill roads, the car consumes more energy. On the other hand, it consumes less energy while going downhill. This can dramatically change the amount of range that one can get from an EV.

The Toughest EV test

This is a test conducted by a YouTube channel where the car is put through a road test that consists of multiple road scenarios which it might face in its life. It includes a drive uphill on snowy roads and on a highway. A comparison was conducted between the Tesla Model Y and the Ford Mustang Mach-E over here. It was a comparison of the range, battery management, and charging speeds of both cars. While the two cars have very different range ratings, they have similar 75 kW battery packs. However, the Model Y has an EPA rated range of 291-303 miles (468-487 km) and the Mustang has an EPA rated range of 210-300 miles (337-480 km). This difference exists due to the way both cars manage battery usage.

The Route

The test is conducted on the Loveland Trials. This includes a drive from Boulder, Colorado up to the Loveland Pass followed by a drive down the other side, into Keystone, into Slipperthorn and then up one of the steepest highway in the United States of America, the Ike Gauntlet. The total drive is about 150 miles which includes a lot of uphill driving. This test promises to be gruelling for both these cars, especially for the Ford.

The two cars

The Tesla Model Y and the Ford Mustang Mach-E are quite similar. Both have a crossover form and are 5-door cars. Both have a 75 kW battery pack. And both of them cost around $50,000. What is different though, is the amount of experience that the two companies have when it comes to making EVs. The Model Y is Tesla’s 4th production EV. Tesla’s 8 year experience advantage shows in the efficient manner in which the car uses its battery. Ford is much less experienced when it comes to making EVs. But it does have almost 120 years worth experience when it comes to making cars. So even though Tesla has a better drivetrain, Ford does have the edge when it comes to making a better overall car.

Tesla Model Y Interior

The Model Y is in its Performance guise while the Ford is the Standard AWD version. While this does put the Ford at a disadvantage, it won’t be far behind. At the beginning of the trip, the Model Y’s range calculator is showing a total of 294 miles. The Ford’s system is showing a 157 mile range. This might seem bizarre but there is an explanation behind it. The Tesla’s trip meter only shows the range left according to the EPA results. Whereas Ford calculates the range real time based on all external factors such as temperature, route selected, driving style, and so on. So while both cars are capable of going more than the distance they have to go right now, the Ford thinks it will just about make it.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

How it went

The comparison wasn’t a race of any kind but it was still a highly entertaining one. It was a real world test so it gives a better understanding of how these cars cope with the challenges they will actually face. Instead of giving us figures such as 0-60 mph it provides us with an insight as to how it is to own the two cars. The Model Y did come out on top in the battery management test. It was the expected result after all. In the earlier stage of the drive, it looked like the Ford will struggle with range. However, regenerative braking on the downhill stretches ensured that it made through the test comfortably. While the Ford is definitely better looking, the Tesla is the better car for driving pleasure. It has better acceleration and handling as compared to the Mustang.

Tesla Model Y

The Ford does bring the fight to the Tesla by being more user friendly. The lack of a display that shows the important readouts such as speed, range, temperature, etc. in the Tesla is a major sore point. The Mustang is also better built than the Model Y and is a nicer car to be in. Overall if we take all things into consideration, both cars are evenly matched. However, in terms of battery consumption, the Model Y is far superior to the Mustang. In the 150 mile long drive, the Tesla used 56% of its battery pack, while the Mach-E used 70% of its battery. This shows that the Tesla is much more efficient in terms of battery usage. While the results could change if the Long Range version of the Mustang is tested, but it definitely won’t improve but that big a margin.

Ford Mustang Mach-E

But the Tesla clinches it due to another factor.

The charging battle

To make the test more interesting, they decided to add a charging speed comparison as well. At the destination, there was a Tesla Supercharger and an Electrify America charger next to each other. A test was conducted to see which one of these 2 chargers can charge the cars faster in 15 minutes. The Tesla’s Supercharger is the easiest one to use. The only thing that we have to do is plug the car in, and it starts charging. On the other hand, the Electrify America charger is a little complicated. Once plugged in, the car checks if the charger is in a working condition and only then does it start charging. This makes it a slightly more tedious process than the Supercharger. Once plugged in, the Tesla went up by 18 kWh at a cost of $4.05. The Ford went up by 5 kWh at $2.25.

Tesla Supercharger

Again this could change because the first two chargers in which the Mustang was plugged in were faulty. So that effectively reduced the amount of time that the Ford was charging. But, still it shows that Tesla’s superior charging network will always provide it with an extra trump card in all comparisons.

Charging Stations

Overall it is evident that the Tesla Model Y is still the best in its class. But it also showed exactly where the Mustang needs to improve to catch up with the Tesla. However, even if Ford can make their car just as good if not better than Tesla, they will still lag behind until the charging network can match up to Tesla’s Superchargers. Until then, Tesla will definitely be the best in the class.

Rutwik Tasgaonkar
Rutwik Tasgaonkar
Just a normal guy who fell in love with cars when he was 3 years old. Now trying to share that with others.

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