---
title: "This Today Show Segment on Gas-Saving Tips in a Ford Mustang Mach-E Is Painful"
description: "The Ford Mustang Mach-E in question has no engine, although the Today Show corresponded uses it as a prop to demonstrate saving fuel while idling."
date: "2022-03-08"
modified: "2022-03-08"
authors:
  - name: "Peter Holderith"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/peter-holderith"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/44645/this-today-show-segment-on-gas-saving-tips-in-a-ford-mustang-mach-e-is-painful"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "News"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "Ford"
  - "Mustang Mach-E"
  - "suv/crossover"
---

# This Today Show Segment on Gas-Saving Tips in a Ford Mustang Mach-E Is Painful

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2022/03/today-show-EV-fuel-saving-tips-ford-mustang-mach-e.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Gas prices are high right now, [if you haven't noticed,](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44643/us-gas-prices-hit-a-new-record-high-4-17-a-gallon>) and accompanying that extra pain at the pump are individuals and news organizations alike giving people tips on [how to save fuel.](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/31400/hypermiler-squeezes-astonishing-40-mpg-from-lightly-modified-1999-chevrolet-corvette>) Indeed, the *Today Show* came up with just a segment, [embedded below,](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6vjVos4-k0&t=40s>) that's been airing on television lately doing just that. However, there's a small problem with it. The car they use to demonstrate these gasoline-saving tips doesn't burn any gasoline because it's an [electric Ford Mustang Mach-E.](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/39928/2021-mustang-mach-e-review-a-week-living-with-this-electric-pony-proves-its-the-real-deal>)

This wouldn't be egregious if the particular portion of the segment was focused on something like your driving style, which has a lot to do with how much energy you use whether you're burning fuel or discharging a battery. It didn't, however. The part of the clip with the Mach-E was focused on fuel saved while idling. *NBC’s* Senior Consumer Investigative Correspondent Vicky Nguyen explained that "If you're safely parked somewhere for more than ten seconds... consider turning your engine off. She then pressed the stop/start button on the [Mach-E](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/42682/2021-ford-mustang-mach-e-gt-first-drive-review-doubt-killing-performance>), which doesn't have an engine. "Idling can cost you up to half a gallon of gas per hour!"

https://youtube.com/embed/f6vjVos4-k0

Nguyen went on to note some relevant tips that will save you money whether or not the vehicle is powered by an [internal combustion engine,](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/44535/ford-will-keep-building-ice-trucks-and-mustangs-because-evs-cant-do-it-all>) like removing excess cargo from the vehicle. That said, it's unclear why an EV was selected to illustrate the idling point. I reached out to the *Today Show* in an attempt to clarify why a Mach-E was chosen to illustrate the point, but I've yet to hear back as of publishing.

Maybe the *Today Show* assumed people wouldn't notice the car was electric and the Mach-E was the most convenient vehicle on-hand to use. And to be fair, the point is still illustrated with reasonable effectiveness whether or not the car has an engine—the start/stop switch works the same way in EVs as it does in ICE vehicles. It's just something silly that probably should've been addressed before a segment was aired on national television. The result of the error is that a segment that would've otherwise held water loses its credibility.

https://twitter.com/_/status/1501178024343048197

*Got a tip or question for the author? You can reach them here**: peter@thedrive.com*

## Author
Peter Holderith is a former staff writer for The Drive. He enjoys covering the regular news cycle, writing reviews, and hunting down long features on obscure pieces of automotive history.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-h-5ba447192/>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/_baldtires>)