Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn and Webasto in Germany have revealed the Mustang Lithium, a battery electric Mustang fastback prototype. It has more than 1,000 ft.-lbs. of torque, 900-plus horsepower, and features a manual transmission.
The vehicle is being used as a testbed for battery and thermal management technologies Webasto and Ford are creating for the growing e-mobility automotive segment. Ford says fully electric powertrains deliver quicker performance.
“Ford has made no secret of the fact that we are electrifying our most popular nameplates,” says Hau Thai-Tang, chief product development and purchasing officer at Ford. “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.”
The Mustang Lithium has custom carbon fiber body components, a 1-inch lowered stance, and 20-inch staggered fitting forged wheels. Its Phi-Power dual-core electric motor and dual power inverters are powered by an 800-volt Webasto battery system with EVDrive Technology that can discharge a megawatt of electrical energy.
At 800 volts, the vehicle offers twice the voltage of most electric cars on the road today. The power pack allows the system to be lighter and more powerful, and generate less heat and more electric force than most battery-electric systems available.
The concept car uses a drag-strip proven Calimer-version of the Getrag MT82 six-speed transmission with billet internals to handle the torque. Ford Performance half shafts and Super 8.8 Torsen differential help supply power to the road through lightweight Forgeline wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
Other features include Ford Performance’s Track Handling Pack and strut tower brace, Brembo six-piston front brakes from the Shelby GT350R, Sankuer Composite Technologies side splitters and rear diffuser, a Webasto hood with see-through polycarbonate windows, TurboDX charging solution, and TurboCord portable charger.
The Mustang Lithium also provides a set of drive modes that apply a controlled amount of torque for different driving scenarios including valet, sport, track, and beast. They are on-demand through a custom, in-dash 10.4-inch touchscreen display.
“Very similar to Ford’s push for vehicle electrification, 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,” says Mark Denny, North America president and CEO of Webasto Customized Solutions.
Ford plans to invest more than $11.5 billion in electrified vehicles by 2022, including an all-new Mustang-inspired fully electric SUV in 2020 with a projected 300-mile range. An electric F-150 is in the testing phase, but production dates have not been revealed.
Ford has produced more than 800,000 electric and hybrid-electric vehicles around the globe over the past 20 years.
