Ford built this 900hp electric Mustang to prove EVs can be muscle cars
There may be a hybrid Mustang coming, but Ford's legendary pony car has gone all-electric for a custom SEMA 2019 vision of what a performance EV could deliver. Unveiled today at the Las Vegas show, the Mustang Lithium is the fruit of a collaboration between Ford and Webasto, packing more than 1,000 lb-ft of torque to play with.
Outside, the Mustang Lithium looks much like its gasoline counterpart. Ford did add new Sankuer Composite Technologies side splitters and a rear diffuser, though, along with custom carbon fiber body components. There's also a Webasto hood with embedded polycarbonate windows so that you can see what's driving the beast.
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That's a Phi-Power dual-core electric motor paired with dual power inverters. It's fueled by an 800 volt Webasto battery system, and delivers not only that 1,000+ lb-ft of torque but over 900 horsepower, too. Unexpectedly, however, there's also a manual transmission.
Most BEVs don't have a transmission at all. Even the rarities that do, like Porsche's new Taycan, use just two ratios. The Mustang Lithium, however, has a six-speed manual, based on the Getrag MT82. That had to be upgraded with billet internals so as to handle the levels of torque being produced.
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Ford Performance half shafts along with a Super 8.8 Torsen differential are onboard, and the coupe is fitted with 20-inch Forgeline lightweight wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber. The Shelby GT350 donates its six-piston front brakes, while the Ford Performance Track Handling Pack is also included, along with the automaker's strut tower brace.
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Inside, there's a 10.4-inch touchscreen embedded into the dashboard. It's a custom panel, and it offers a special EV control interface which can switch the Mustang Lithium between different drive modes. There's Valet at one end of the scale, limiting torque to avoid messy burn-outs (or worse), along with Sport, Track, and Beast modes for more performance.
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Other than those beefy torque and horsepower figures, we don't really know what the Mustang Lithium is capable of. Ford says to expect "stunning quarter-mile acceleration" but doesn't give specifics, and it hasn't shared anything like 0-60 mph times or indeed electric range.
The Mustang EV is coming
Ford is clear that the Mustang Lithium is a one-off custom car for SEMA this year, and won't be headed to production at least in its current form. What the EV does do, however, is serve as a testbed for Ford and Webasto's collaboration on battery and thermal management. That's going to be important as the automaker looks to performance EVs rather than just ones known for frugality.
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The first new Ford EV will be unveiled later this month, a Mustang-inspired electric SUV. An all-electric F-150 truck is in the pipeline, though that won't be for "a few years," Ford says. Before then, though, there'll be an F-150 Hybrid released in 2020. Ford is also working on a Mustang Hybrid, though details on that car are scant at present.