The Ford Electric SuperVan debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed with 1,973 horsepower (1,471 kilowatts). Blue Oval now has a unique engine at the Nürburgring. What the one-off EV does on the track is a mystery at the moment.
Ford is not trying to hide this is the Electric SuperVan. The name of the vehicle is even on the nose, tail, and underbody. The rig uses a Custom E-Transit as a starting point. After much work, there was little resemblance between them. The overhauled body includes a front splitter and a large inlet in the fascia with visible cooling behind it.
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The designers sculpted the top side of the van so that the exposed part directs air through the vertical fins. There are also wings on the roof and a diffuser under the bumper.
Our first thought was that maybe Ford was preparing the Electric SuperVan to set a fast time around the Nordschleife. However, some images show the vehicle on the track in heavy rain. Tuning the vehicle for fast laps on a wet track makes no sense as the data will not apply to pristine conditions.
The Electric SuperVan has four electric motors. The liquid-cooled battery has a capacity of 50 kilowatt hours. With nearly 2,000 hp, the vehicle accelerates to 62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) in under two seconds.
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Tweaks under the skin of the van include a double-wishbone suspension layout at every corner. Brakes are part of the racing specs.
The interior is stripped down and now only has racing seats, a roll cage, a simple instrument display, and a large tablet-like infotainment screen. The driver can choose between modes such as Road, Track, Drag, Drift and Rally. There is also a Tire Clear setting that locks one axle and rotates the other. The result is a smoky burnout and warmer rubber.
At Goodwood, the Electric SuperVan is the fifth fastest vehicle in this year’s hill climb. It clocked 46.58 seconds, which is only a fraction slower than the fourth-placed Subaru GL Family Huckster 46.20 seconds. The fastest car in 2022 is the McMurtry Speirling which is 39.08 seconds.
If you want to hear more about this year’s Electric Supervan and Goodwood Festival of Speed, check out this episode Chatting About Cars broadcast: