Ford introduced the all-electric Mustang Mach-E 1400, a one-of-a-kind prototype, to demonstrate the performance possibilities of all-electric vehicles.
Ford
Ford Motor has developed a racing version of its upcoming 1,400-horsepower Mustang Mach-E all-electric crossover with a top speed that’s not legal on the street.
The company plans to use the prototype vehicle, which it will call the Mustang Mach-E 1400, to showcase the potential performance of all-electric vehicles as the new crossover begins hitting dealerships later this year.
“He is a complete athlete,” Mark Rushbrook, director of motorsports at Ford Performance, told CNBC. He called the vehicle a “learning platform” for the company to use aspects of its future all-electric vehicles.
Ford is investing more than $ 11.5 billion in electric vehicles worldwide, including the Mustang Mach-E, through 2022.
The Mustang Mach-E 1400 used the body of the production vehicle, but its components are quite different from those of consumers. Engineers optimized the crossover’s aerodynamics, chassis, and other systems to increase performance.
The crossover features seven electric motors, five more than the Mustang Mach-E to be sold later this year, that power the vehicle. The hood is also made from organic composite fibers, a lightweight alternative to carbon fiber that comprises the rest of the vehicle.
Ford declined to disclose the racer’s top speed, peak power, and other performance attributes. The consumer Mustang Mach-E GT is expected to hit 0 to 60 miles per hour in less than four seconds with an estimated 459 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque, according to the company.
Automakers routinely use racing prototypes to test and develop performance technologies. As Ford begins offering additional all-electric vehicles, Rushbrook said the strategy is expected to continue.
With racing, Ford wants to “push the envelope, learn, innovate and return it to the cars and products we sell to customers,” he said. “This is also part of that.”
The Mustang Mach-E 1400 is expected to make its NASCAR “race” debut soon. It includes three passenger seats for the company to offer public transportation at events.
The crossover was developed with RTR, a high-performance vehicle company.
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