If you are still not convinced by the performance of electric cars, Ford has just made the most compelling argument. In order to show what’s possible with electric technology, the American manufacturer announced the Mustang Mach-E 1400, a one-off version of its first full-electric crossover.
The concept racing car won’t get to production. That’s good, though. With 1400 horsepower on tap, sourced from seven, yes, seven electric motors, the MACH-E 1400 is probably too fast for public roads.
But, why does this vehicle need seven motors, you ask? Well, Ford says that they are necessary to make the MACH-E 1400 a more versatile racer. More accurately, the concept car has multiple personalities – it can excel in acceleration, handling, and drifting. To do that, Ford connected four motors on the back axle via a pancake style differential and three motors on the front differential.
The engineers opted for a 56.8 kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt pouch battery, which is engineered for rapid power delivery. The battery lasts around 20-30 minutes on the track, and it can recharge in only 45 minutes, or to 80% in 30 minutes.
The MACH-E 1400 also features a hydraulic handbrake. Now, that might seem out of place in an electric car, but it’s needed for a quick lock of the rear wheels for drifting.
Meanwhile, most of the vehicle’s body is made from carbon fiber for reduced weight. Also, the MACH-E 1400 has a massive rear spoiler that can produce more than 2,300 pounds (1000 kg) of downforce at speeds of 160 mph (260 km/h). Ford announced that the crazy Mustang MACH-E 1400 concept would be used as a testbed for new materials and electric-vehicle technologies.
The production version of the Ford Mustang MACH-E will have a 75.5 kWh battery and a rear 255 horsepower motor in the entry-level version. Meanwhile, the hottest version will have 459 horsepower from two electric motors and can accelerate to 60mph in only 4 seconds.
Source: Ford Media Center
