Ford's Electric SuperVan Sets 3 New Records At Mount Panorama, Beating Mercedes-AMG
In a big win for Ford and EVs in general, the automaker's SuperVan 4.2 set three different records at Mount Panorama, the famed Australian racing track. Nearly 4 miles long, the street circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales, has a vertical difference of 571 feet between its lowest and highest points, which means any EV looking to make a good lap time needs to have a lot of power underneath its hood.
The Ford Performance SuperVan 4.2 lived up to the challenge and then some, completing one lap with a time of 1:56.3247. This time is now the current benchmark for any closed-wheel vehicle, commercial vehicle, or electric vehicle — a trifecta of new records. "The effort and expertise it took to reset the benchmark lap time for a closed-wheel vehicle around Mount Panorama cannot be understated," said Mark Rushbrook, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports. "Romain Dumas worked alongside our team to innovate, learn, adapt, and the result is a time that exceeded our own expectations."
Dumas was the driver behind the wheel for the run, where the SuperVan 4.2 reached a top speed of more than 186 mph. He previously broke the record with the same EV at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb last year. "This is the first time I have driven SuperVan 4.2 faster than 300 km/h, and we left nothing on the table as we pushed for the fastest lap possible," said Dumas after the trial. "No one has ever driven a vehicle like SuperVan 4.2 around Mount Panorama, and certainly not this quickly."
Ford plans to continue showing off the SuperVan 4.2 at the Ford Proving Ground in Victoria, Australia, as well as at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival and Rolex Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.
Ford's SuperVan 4.2 has to be seen to be believed
While it shares a name and lineage with the iconic Ford SuperVan, it's no light commercial vehicle. Loosely based on the Ford e-Transit Custom, the SuperVan 4.2 has three electric motors that, together, can generate over 1,400 horsepower. It's also built with a large, lightweight carbon-fiber spoiler and other aerodynamic features that can deliver more than 4,400 pounds of downforce at 150 mph. Plus, the EV was modified with a regenerative braking system with carbon-ceramic discs, as well as lightweight magnesium wheels with Pirelli P-Zero tires for better suspension.
"For two weeks the SuperVan team didn't stop working on making this electric van as fast as possible," said Sriram Pakkam, Manager, Formula 1 and EV Demonstrators, Ford Performance. "The global Ford Performance network was activated to ensure SuperVan 4.2 was as capable as possible." While Mount Panorama is a tough track, the team's efforts paid off, as each successive lap time was shorter than the last.
"SuperVan 4.2 really has to be seen to be believed, and we are thrilled that Aussie race fans have been able to witness its history-making runs around Mount Panorama," said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO of Ford Australia. The SuperVan 4.2's performance at Mount Panorama isn't just about bragging rights but is a bellwether for electric cars in general, as EV engineering catches up to traditional ICE vehicles and becomes a bigger share of the automotive market. "Lessons learned from SuperVan's running in Australia will have a direct flow into Ford's next generation of electric road cars," continued Birkic. "That means future products that customers drive on our roads will have a little spirit of Mount Panorama carried within them."