The Ford brass from both the U.S. and Europe were teasing a new electric vehicle for the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Twitter last week. The not-so-secret message was that Ford was building a new SuperVan, this time all-electric as a version of its E-Transit, as an homage to the three previous marketing models built in 1971, 1984 and 1994.
The new Ford Pro Electric SuperVan debuts this weekend with four electric motors and a liquid-cooled 50-kWh battery laying down 1,972 horsepower. That's good for a zero-to-62 miles per hour (100 kilometers per hour) sprint in less than 2 seconds. It will be driven by race car driver and electric-vehicle specialist Romain Dumas, who hold the current record at The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Besides the wild powertrain, which holds a tenuous connection to the E-Transit, the Supervan uses other components from Ford's work van too.
It has Ford Sync technology with real-time data transmission, though no fleet manager is going to be looking for this van. It also has selectable drive modes and regenerative braking.
"We're bringing SuperVan into the 21st century with 2,000 PS of all-electric power for unmatched excitement and unmistakable styling inspired by the new E-Transit Custom," said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports in a press release.
"But performance isn't all about horsepower – the Electric SuperVan's processing power means engineers can use real-time vehicle data to optimize its performance, just like on a top-level racing car."
The demonstration vehicle was developed in secret by Ford Performance and racing specialists STARD in Australia. The exterior design was done by Ford's team in Germany.
The SuperVan combines the E-Transit Custom floorpan with a steel spaceframe and lightweight body panels. The battery pack is mounted low and in the middle for weight distribution and can be recharged in 45 minutes on a standard fast charger, according to Ford. Like the standard E-Transit, SuperVan drivers get battery information on the in-cab touchscreen.
It features unequal-length double wishbone suspension at each corner, which helps keep the wheels connected to the road. It also has motorsports-grade front and rear subframes, uprights and brakes. The SuperVan has FIA racing seats and a full roll cage.
Traction control and launch control are also included as a pit lane speed limiter. The van also comes with a Tire Cleaning Mode that fully brakes one axle while spinning the other. It can be used for impressive burnouts, or to clean the tires before a speed run.
To drive the commercial point home, Ford installed a cargo door on the van that will eventually be controlled with an electromagnetic release that the company is developing. It also has an on-board camera for parking, but also so the world gets to see the driver's point of view.
"The chance to be part of the iconic SuperVan story and reimagine what it could be in the 21st century was a dream opportunity," said Amko Leenarts, director, Design, Ford of Europe in a release.
"The fourth chapter of the SuperVan story is designed to be the fastest, most extreme yet while keeping the Transit DNA. The proportions are a more dramatic version of what we developed for the E-Transit Custom and the front light bar creates a futuristic expression, making the Electric SuperVan the absolute pinnacle of Transit design language."
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Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
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