After teasing their new Mustang-based SUV, the next big announcement came in the form of the Ford Mustang Lithium.
Developed together with Webasto, the Ford Mustang Lithium Concept is essentially an all-electric sports car. And it does things a little differently. What’s so different? Well, for starters, all production electric cars thus far, even some of those in Formula E racing, have used single-speed or two-speed automatic transmissions, save for a couple of majors running more ratios; but again, only in FE and only automatic. The Mustang has a six-speed manual transmission.
The electric motor in the Ford Mustang Lithium has “more than 900 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque instantly available”. That’s over 1,350 torque in Nm: a lot of twist. The Mustang Lithium uses a Phi-Power dual-core electric motor and dual power inverters, paired with an 800-volt Webasto battery, with EVDrive Technology that can discharge a full megawatt (1,356 hp’s worth) of electrical energy. To put all the power down to the wheels, is a drag-strip proven Calimer-version of Getrag’s MT82 six-speed manual with billet internals to handle all of that torque and to ensure more durability. It also gets half-shafts from Ford Performance and Super 8.8 Torsen differential to help supply power to the road via lightweight Forgeline wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber.
More features on include Ford Performance’s Track Handling Pack and strut tower brace, Brembo six-piston front calipers from the Shelby GT350R, Sankuer Composite Technologies side-splitters and rear diffuser, plus a Webasto hood with see-through polycarbonate windows, and a TurboDX charging solution with TurboCord portable charger.
The Ford Mustang Lithium Concept also features a unique set of drive modes for a controlled amount of torque for different driving scenarios. These include Valet, Sport, Track and Beast, each of which are instantly available using the custom in-dash 10.4-inch touchscreen display.
Mark Denny, Webasto Customized Solutions North America President and CEO, said, “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.”
The Ford Mustang Lithium is not only a one-off prototype to showcase electrification on one of the most notable American sports cars, but also a test-bed for the battery and thermal management technologies Webasto and Ford are working on creating for the growing electric-vehicle segment.
Ford Mustang Lithium
