The electric vehicle revolution is here, and it’s turning out to be more exciting than most people probably expected. The EVs of today are quick, sometimes luxurious, and can offer range numbers that extend hundreds of miles on a charge. Ford, one of the world’s oldest automakers, arrived with an EV of its own this year, the Mustang Mach-E. Regardless of whether you feel it’s worthy of the Mustang name or not, there’s no denying that it’s a special vehicle. Auto journalists recognize that, too, as it just won Electric Vehicle of the Year from Car & Driver.

This year is Car & Driver’s first EV of the Year Award, but with all the action in the marketplace, it’s certainly not going to be the last. In the next year alone, we’ll see new offerings from Rivian, Ford, General Motors, and others, and that doesn’t take any of today’s excellent vehicles into account.

The Mach-E beat out several other big-name EVs to take the award.Ford

The C&D test included 11 EVs and took place over a three-week period. Each vehicle was subjected to a 1,000-mile road trip to evaluate its performance in the real world. The tests use the same criteria as the publications ten-best awards, which means it has to offer great and engaging driving experience, be practical or offer incredible value, and must fulfill its mission better than its competitors. Beyond the Mustang Mach-E, the test included: