1000kW Ford Mustang Mach-E EV SUV

[Wretched]

We called it last week… Ford has built a one-off version of its forthcoming Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, debuting the 1000kW beast in a spectacular video release that featured the bulk of its racing stable.

With a claimed 10,000 hours of development time, and driven by drift ace Vaughn Gittin Jr, the bodykitted Mach-E is set up to emaciate tyres at a prodigious rate, with Gittin shown putting the car through a variety of tests.

While elements of the video are demonstrably staged and polished for mass consumption, the drift shots with Ken Block and Hailie Deegan are true, and they are spectacular… as is the banshee wail of the twin-motor electric drivetrain.

A two-motor GT-badged version of the Mach-E is slated to pump up 346kW when released… but this one - known as the Mustang Mach-E 1400 - pumps in excess of 1000kW from SEVEN motors. Wow.

Three motors are attached to the front diff and four to the rear, with a single driveshaft connecting them in a row to their respective diffs. That power can be sent in its entirety to the front or rear of the car, or any combination in between.

No mention of electric range is made – not far, we’d guess – but the 56.8kWh battery is made of nickel manganese cobalt pouch cells, and it’s cooled during charging to allow quicker ‘refills’.

Everything that dresses the Mustang Mach-E body-in-white is styled for proper aerodynamics and made of carbon fibre - except for the experimental organic composite bonnet - while its suspension is widely adjustable to suit an array of motorsports.

Braking is handled by hydraulics, with Brembo calipers complemented by a hydraulic handbrake.

“Now is the perfect time to leverage electric technology, learn from it, and apply it to our portfolio,” said Ron Heiser the chief program engineer, of the Mustang Mach-E. “Mustang Mach-E is going to be fun to drive, just like every other Mustang before it, but Mustang Mach-E 1400 is completely insane, thanks to the efforts of Ford Performance and [Gittin's comapny] RTR.

"The Mustang Mach-E 1400 is the result of 10,000 hours of collaboration by Ford Performance and RTR aimed at bridging the gap between what an electric vehicle can do and what customers tend to believe it can do.”

A stripped interior, racing pedal box and seats and a huge roll cage frame a production dash stack and centre console screen, from which Gittin selects something called Unbridled mode.

“Getting behind the wheel of this car has completely changed my perspective on what power and torque can be,” said Gittin. “This experience is like nothing you’ve ever imagined, except for maybe a magnetic roller coaster.”

The Mach-E 1400 will now go on tour, as Ford looks to change the hearts and minds of consumers about the electric vehicles it's spending almost $20 billion on in the next decade.

The Mexican-built Mustang Mach-E launches in the US later this year and will likely make it to Australia - when, though, no one's saying.

https://www.whichcar.com.au/car-news...fetFC09-sI3iG0

[Tickford.]

If the sound of an EV doesn't float your boat, remember these?



The SR interface has come along way in the 10 or so years it's been available. I remember the first ones used to sound crap, like when your car was at 3000rpm the engine sound coming through was at like 10'000rpm! The new 'X' model is fully adjustable and can be user calibrated to suit your taste.

If you have a 'fully sik' sound system, this would sound closer to the real thing. Specially the V8 files.

Gentleman from the outside, hoon on the inside.

[Bossxr8]

That electric motor whine is ear piercing, but not sure if that's as loud as it really sounds or whether they have enhanced it for the video.

But it's amazing what they can do with it. Make it RWD, AWD, adjust the torque split etc, and switch it between setups for whatever purpose they want ie. drift, race track, drag strip etc.

Looking at the downforce and power figures, I reckon this has been built for Pikes Peak.

[Wretched]

I think Ford took the right strategy, put the Mach E in a position to show that you can modify it in any way shape or form to perform straight line, top speed, circuit, etc. They went straight to their target market with this.
It wasn't showcasing Mach E but electric propulsion.

[blueoval]

I have no doubt about the power, handling, agility and speed of this thing, but the noise (or lack there of) it emanates is way too uninspiring for me.

[Sprintey]

I actually really like the whine, it's pure intent! This is a new era in cars, it's not going to be the sound of the V8 that I love, but it's got it's own soundtrack. Reminds me of superchargers a bit.

Hopefully the sound is toned down a bit for the family version, just like with race cars to road cars with ICE - but even then it would be nice to hear a bit of a whine when putting the foot down.

Maybe I've been listening to stepper motors too much recently ha! (wear PPE)

And looking at the family version, that looks awesome, if it handles, and it should, there's the Terry replacement in the electric era. Nice work Ford.

[Crazy Dazz]

Nope, uh-uh, no.
I feel nothing but pity for anybody that thinks electric whines are all we have to look forward too. I'll be dead before that happens, and thank God for that.

I imagine those same poor sods will never now the joy of sitting around a camp-fire, they'll have to make-do with infra-red LEDs.

Besides, the whole thing is pointless. Yes, you can pump extraordinary amounts of power through electric motors, especially for short bursts. It's nothing new. They're basically equivalent to a "Top Fuel" drag car.

[whynot]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

Nope, uh-uh, no.
I feel nothing but pity for anybody that thinks electric whines are all we have to look forward too.

Lots of people love the sound of a steam engine: the chuff-chuff, hiss-hiss as it powers up a hill. I must admit that I do as well. There is a lifetime of steam engine videos on youtube, like this one https://youtu.be/fpzkAZmJ77I?t=356

The cold hard reality is that while a steam engine sounds awesome for a weekend trip, for the Monday to Friday trip into work, nothing beats an air-conditioned electric train. It is quiet. It is comfortable. It is faster. It is cleaner.

Tomorrow's generation of rev-heads will love the sound of an electric variable-speed drive, and the increasing whine of the electric coils in motor as the speed increases.

Instead of calculating swept volume after an alteration to a petrol engine, they will calculate variations in permeance of the electric motor due to slotting on the rotor and stator, saturation, eccentricities and dyssemeteries.

They will be trying to go as fast as possible.

They will be spending more money than they should on their set of wheels.

And they will be having tons of fun.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by whynot

Lots of people love the sound of a steam engine: the chuff-chuff, hiss-hiss as it powers up a hill. I must admit that I do as well. There is a lifetime of steam engine videos on youtube, like this one https://youtu.be/fpzkAZmJ77I?t=356

The cold hard reality is that while a steam engine sounds awesome for a weekend trip, for the Monday to Friday trip into work, nothing beats an air-conditioned electric train. It is quiet. It is comfortable. It is faster. It is cleaner.

And??
The high def flatscreens are much better than the CRTs we grew up with, but so what. Nobody takes their Samsung to a Show'n'Shine.

[xb74_black]

Kill it with fire.

[turbo4]

As someone who normally hates electric cars, I like this one.

[CyberWasp]

I said it ages ago that Electric Vehicles need a signature sound for performance.
This is the 1st time I have heard one.
People will like it or hate it, just as some people like or hate the sound of a V8s, Turbos, Super Chargers or what ever combination of them.
It is a sign of what is to come.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by CyberWasp

It is a sign of what is to come.

AND???
When my parents bought a house in Perth, they bought on a quarter acre, near the river, literally within walking distance of the city.
Couples buying today are buying blocks a third that size, 2 hours drive from the city.
Times change, it happens, but its not always for the better.

And besides, people have been saying "its the future" for at least the last 50 years. As a child we were told that by the year 2000 "all cars would be electric." Well guess what.

Its the same reason companies roll out "cars of the future" at every motor show, none of which ever become said future. They want to be seen to be pioneering technology, and thus constantly attracting new buyers. Otherwise they end up like Cadillac, with nobody under the age of 80 buying their cars.

Furthermore, in today's culture, where it's perfectly acceptable to live in a 2000sqm mansion, spend $500 on a pair of undies, and fly around the world in a private jet, provided you own a Prius, ostentatious performance has to be seen to be "green". SO never mind that building your hyper-car consumed enough energy to power an African nation, and still actually only gets 6mpg, it's a Hybrid so that makes it ok.

[whynot]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

AND???
As a child we were told that by the year 2000 "all cars would be electric."

That, I agree with. Back in the 1980's, I was able to sit in the passenger seat for a spin around the block of a Daihatsu Charade that had been converted to electric drive. Lead-acid battery and DC motor made for a car that was only good for short trips. While I was impressed with the technology, I was unimpressed with the performance and the range. You can still see the Daihatsu Charade, it is way down the back shed of the Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum and Park (HPV), near Toowoomba. Slowly gathering dust. Unwanted and unloved.

Skipping through 2000 (no electric vehicles worthy of mention)

Forty years later, in 2020, and Ford demos the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV with 1-megawatt (1,000kW) drive train capacity. Your kidding me a 1-megawatt drive train!!!!! Expletives fail me.

The Mach-E looks awesome. I would be happy to take that to any show and shine.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Crazy Dazz

AND???
When my parents bought a house in Perth, they bought on a quarter acre, near the river, literally within walking distance of the city.
Couples buying today are buying blocks a third that size, 2 hours drive from the city.
Times change, it happens, but its not always for the better.

And besides, people have been saying "its the future" for at least the last 50 years. As a child we were told that by the year 2000 "all cars would be electric." Well guess what.

Its the same reason companies roll out "cars of the future" at every motor show, none of which ever become said future. They want to be seen to be pioneering technology, and thus constantly attracting new buyers. Otherwise they end up like Cadillac, with nobody under the age of 80 buying their cars.

Furthermore, in today's culture, where it's perfectly acceptable to live in a 2000sqm mansion, spend $500 on a pair of undies, and fly around the world in a private jet, provided you own a Prius, ostentatious performance has to be seen to be "green". SO never mind that building your hyper-car consumed enough energy to power an African nation, and still actually only gets 6mpg, it's a Hybrid so that makes it ok.

Well electric cars are here now, like it or not.
Why they didn't happen earlier? That is for another topic but I guess the main factor is, car makers found it easier and cheaper to keep pumping out ICEs and governments got fat on the fuel taxes.

The world has changed and now EVs are slowing coming about (more so in Europe, USA and Asia) with Hydrogen research ramping up (there are a number of organisations and manufacturers here in AU involved).

Ford is seeing a market here but also not wanting to lose their tuner crowd hence this Mach E monster. Showcases you can still modify electric cars and make insane horsepower.

[gooseneck]

We never got electric cars in the 80s and 90s primarily because of Nickel Cadmium battery technology not having a high enough energy density/capacity per cell. All other factors were there though in fact NiCD was used to power trams more than 100 years ago.

We did kind-of get electric hybrid cars, at least the americans did, with the electric/petrol Hondas in the early-late 90s:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_EV_Plus
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight
https://insideevs.com/features/34197...nt-and-future/

As far as the sound is concerned I think its a bit obnoxious but that would be what you would describe 1MW of power going to all four wheels. I'm sure its a peak value not an average.

There might be a better sounding EV out there that comes along further down the line.

[Ben73]

How good is a nice whine

[pauljh74]

It's like a full size version of the RC cars we had as kids - fun for about an hour, then you'd have to recharge the batteries!