- Ford has developed a racing version of its electric Mustang Mach-E crossover capable of 1,400 horsepower.
- The automaker plans to use the prototype vehicle as a proof of concept for the performance of all-electric vehicles.
- Ford is investing more than $11.5 billion in electric vehicles worldwide including the Mustang Mach-E, through 2022.
Ford has created a version of its Mustang Mach-E SUV with seven electric motors that can produce a total of up to 1,400 horsepower.
The Mach-E 1400 is a one-of-a-kind demonstration car that was created to show the potential of all-electric vehicles and to help engineers research ways to increase their power, said Mark Rushbrook, head of Ford Performance Motorsports. The Mach-E 1400 is based on Mustang’s Mach-E SUV, which Ford will begin selling next year.
The build team placed three of the motors upfront and the remaining four at the rear, with differentials varying how much of the drive torque is going to each of the wheels. These differentials can be adjusted to set the vehicle up for different styles of driving, such as drifting or racing. The vehicle can also switch between front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive. That means it can be optimized for circuit racing, drag racing, drifting, Gymkhana, or even just the torture of whichever set of tires the driver likes the least. There’s even a hydraulic handbrake for added fun.
Powering all the motors is a 56.8-kilowatt-hour battery that features nickel manganese cobalt cells that Ford says deliver a high discharge rate. Ford wants the Mach-E 1400 to serve as a testbed for new technologies, and not just the ones devoted to rapid tire incineration. The 15.5-inch dash touchscreen is also a production piece, though what it’s doing in a drift car remains to be seen.
“The main advantage of going rear-wheel drive for drifting is that the front driveshafts limit steering angle, You can adjust the torque bias, front to rear”, Gittin Jr. says.
The Mustang Mach-E 1400 is expected to debut at a NASCAR “race soon.” It includes three passenger seats for the company to offer the public rides in at events.
The crossover was developed with RTR, a performance vehicle company.