How easy is it to drive a Ford Mustang Mach-E cross-country? Thanks to owner Sergio Rodriguez, we already have an answer. Rodriguez, 41, an Army veteran and contract writer for the Navy, made the nearly 2,500-mile trek from a Ford dealership in southern California to his home in southeastern Georgia, stopping along the way to recharge while putting on several hundred additional miles showing off his new vehicle to friends and family.

Over the course of the five-day trip, Rodriguez stopped 23 times along Ford’s network of Electrify America chargers, spending no more than 35 minutes, though he was not fully charging the SUV. He was often the only person at the stations. The trip totaled just over $159 in charging costs, he said.

“I mapped out my entire trip and had zero issues with charging,” said Rodriguez, who owns multiple electric vehicles, including a Tesla Model X. “The car actually maps out your trips for you. It takes out the calculations you would have to do on your own. You just have to drive and follow directions.

“I literally went from ocean to ocean,” he added.

The Mach-E’s efficiency impressed Rodriguez, especially over the first leg of the trip, where he managed more than 220 miles driving through the mountains of southern California and Arizona en route to El Paso, Texas, maintaining a comfortable pace through elevation changes without sapping the battery. He was also able to preserve battery life while keeping up with traffic along Texas highways, with 85 mph posted speed limits.

“Had I been doing the same in my Tesla, it would’ve died a whole lot faster because it’s going to burn a whole lot more electricity,” he said. “The Mach-E was like ‘What else you got?’”

Rodriguez recently relocated to Georgia from California, but kept his reservation for the Grabber Blue Mach-E with Gosch Ford in Hemet, California, because of his relationship with the dealer. Dealership personnel offered to pick him up at the airport when he arrived last week and drove him to pick up his vehicle. At the end of the first day of his trip, Rodriguez stopped at another Ford dealership, Casa Ford in El Paso, to charge up. The Mach-E caused a stir, as employees were eager to get a glimpse.

“The entire dealership came out to check it out,” said Rodriguez. “It was the first one they had seen. Everyone – from reception to service to finance and sales managers – was outside, so there was a crowd around the car. I was talking to them about some of the features and telling them what it’s been like driving it.”

The attention wasn’t limited to Ford dealerships, either. “Friends said the pictures didn’t do it justice after seeing the color in person,” said Rodriguez. “Everywhere I drove, there were people driving up and taking pictures of it and asking questions. I don’t think I was able to stop once without someone asking me about it. It was cool to be able to educate people.”

A Mustang enthusiast, Rodriguez has owned several, including a 1989 convertible with a 5.0-liter. He set his sights on the Mach-E after talking to a friend about the latter’s battery-electric Ford Focus. Rodriguez said he liked the idea of the Mach-E being a larger, four-door vehicle, and that it kept the Mustang look, with a retro appearance in the back and a modern appearance out front. He said he went with his instincts, knowing the Mach-E would be great because it’s a Mustang.

“The day it launched, I knew I had to have it,” said Rodriguez. “It’s new and unique. I knew I had to have a First Edition with all the bells and whistles, and I had to get the baddest, boldest color there was.”

Rodriguez expects the Mach-E to be his everyday driver because of its efficiency. “It’s more of an everyday kind of car. I can already tell the suspension is more solid,” he said. “It’s quieter and more in-tune with the road.”

Now that he’s home, Rodriguez is still enjoying his battery charging experience, noting that his Mach-E charges more consistently than his Tesla. “When it comes to efficiency, the Mach-E smokes my Tesla hands-down,” he said. “It accepts more electricity a lot faster.”

In addition to the battery and charging efficiencies, Rodriguez is fascinated by the SYNC® 4A touch screen and enjoys using the “OK, Ford” wake phrase, which enables the vehicle to perform tasks such as getting directions or setting the temperature. Rodriguez, who relies on crutches to walk, also appreciates the vehicle’s hands-free liftgate. He made the cross-country trip with an electric scooter he uses while traveling, which he stored in the back.

“Being able to just swing my foot underneath to open that thing is so much easier than having to reach for a key or reach underneath the handle for a button,” he said.

Even at highway speeds, Rodriguez appreciates how quiet his Mach-E is. “I’ve had lots of cars, and it’s very rare that a car sounds and feels that quiet, especially on the highway,” he said. “It did a really good job. There wasn’t even sound from the wind hitting the mirrors. Hands-down, I’m super-impressed with this car.”