Electric muscle cars in the fast lane

The famous tuner known for creating fast Mustangs could lead the charge for beefed-up battery-powered machines into the new era.

Ford’s iconic racing stripes and Shelby cobra badge are set to grace its Mach-E electric car.

The Blue Oval is pushing to raise the profile of its electric SUV, and plans to take on the likes of the Tesla Model Y performance with a more powerful version of the four-door Mustang.

Shelby is developing a high-performance Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Shelby American has unveiled cosmetic upgrades for the Mach-E, but more is on the way.

Jim Owens, brand manager for the Ford Mustang, said customers should expect something special from the Shelby Mach-E.

Shelby has a cosmetic upgrade package for the Mach-E in Europe, but bigger changes are on the way.

Expect the Shelby Mach-E to build on the appearance pack offered in Europe.

“Any good Mustang should have a Shelby with it, right?” he said.

“Shelby American is doing a Shelby GT Mach-E.

“They are working with the battery company to increase the performance and power of it.

“They’ve already changed the aero – they do the deep-draw like Cobra style hood that is functional for air for cooling.”

The Mustang Mach-E coming to Australia in 2023 is available with up to 358kW and 860Nm of power.

Ford has built a wild electric drift car based on the new Mach-E.

A spokesman for Ford Australia said the Mustang Mach-E Shelby was an intriguing proposition.

“A Shelby version of the Mach-E sounds like a fantastic vehicle,” he said.

“Ford Australia is looking forward to bringing the Mach-E range to Australia in the Select, Premium and GT later this year.”

Though the Mustang Mach-E is quieter than the V8, Owens insists the electric Mach-E is “at its heart and soul a Mustang”.

The Mach-E is intended to share its spirit, if not hardware, with the V8 GT.

“We think that what we’ve done with the mustang Mach-E is changing how people can look at what electric, in this case four door, does,” he said.

“It’s faster than my [Shelby Mustang] GT-500 from zero to 60.

“It has Magneride suspension, it has Brembo brakes, it has performance tyres.

“Those are not things that you put into an electric car for mileage or range, right?

“That’s what you put in for performance.”

The electric Shelby Mustang will sell alongside green performance rivals such as the hybrid-powered Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, and an electric successor to the Dodge Charger.

Originally published as Electric muscle cars in the fast lane