Ford shows electric Mustang Lithium concept at SEMA
Ford is challenging pony-car purists with a special 900hp Mustang, but it has one thing most electric vehicles don’t.
Ford has unveiled an electric Mustang at an enthusiast event in Las Vegas, ahead of the reveal of first pure-electric SUV next week.
The Mustang Lithium, built in conjunction with German supplier Webasto, takes performance to the next level, Ford says, with 670kW of power and 1350Nm of torque combined with track handling.
It uses a Webasto battery, 800 volt electrics and a special six-speed manual gearbox designed to handle the huge power from its dual-core electric motor.
Ford says Mustang Lithium, its centrepiece at the Specialty Equipment Market Association event this week, is a testbed for the technology and not intended for production.
However, the company is investing $US11.5 billion into electrified vehicles until 2022 and steps up its battery rollout next year.
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“Ford has made no secret of the fact that we are electrifying our most popular nameplates,” said Ford’s chief product development officer Hau Thai-Tang. “This one-off Mustang prototype is a great opportunity for us, together with Webasto, to showcase to our customers what new electrified powertrains can do for performance in a car they already know and love.”
Ford’s planning includes a Mustang-inspired electric SUV, due to be unveiled at Los Angeles motor show next week and on sale stateside next year.
It says a battery F-150 will follow in a few years after a hybrid is added to the line-up in 2020. It launched hybrid versions of the Escape and Explorer SUVs in overseas markets this year.
The Mustang Lithium follows the recently launched Porsche Taycan in fitting an 800 volt system – twice the voltage of most electric cars on the road – for less heat generation and lighter weight.
Its unusual manual gearbox – most electric cars have a single-speed transmission – is a drag-strip tested unit and features a range of drive modes – Valet, Sport, Track and Beast – to deliver different levels of torque.
The bonnet has two clear panels to allow a view of the battery pack and electric motor underneath.
“This is an innovative way to further the technologies we’re developing to enable vehicle electrification while creating a vision of how cool the future of electric performance will be,” said Webasto North America chief Mark Denny.
Ford has produced more than 800,000 electric and hybrid-electric vehicles globally to date.
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