Vans

Ford Pro Electric SuperVan packs high-voltage punch

Ford Pro Electric SuperVan

Ford has opened the first electrified chapter in its legendary Supervan series with the global unveiling of the ultra-high-performance Ford Pro Electric SuperVan at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The Ford Pro Electric SuperVan fully utilises the potential of electric performance and enhanced connectivity to achieve the highest performance of any Ford van ever and underscore the company’s huge commitment to electrification.

Four electric motors, a 50kWh liquid-cooled battery and a bespoke control system produce approximately 2,000PS for sub two-second 0-62mph acceleration.

Performance from a purpose-built, track-ready chassis including components from the recently unveiled E-Transit Custom 1 – the first fully electric version of Britain’s best-selling vehicle 2,3 – is complemented by Ford’s SYNC in-cab touchscreen technology 4 from road-going Ford models, as well as additional functionality to control the Electric SuperVan’s unique capabilities.

The enhanced connectivity keeps the driver informed and enables real-time data transmission for remote vehicle management and optimised performance, just like the integrated services that can accelerate the productivity of over 125,000 Ford Pro customers across Europe.

Selectable drive modes and regenerative braking technologies similar to those on Ford production electric vehicles also feature.

The striking, all-electric demonstrator vehicle was developed in secret by Ford Performance and electrified rally and racing specialists STARD in Austria, with exterior design by the Ford Design team in Cologne, Germany.

Mark Rushbrook, global director at Ford Performance Motorsports said: “We’re bringing SuperVan into the 21st century with 2,000PS of all-electric power for unmatched excitement and unmistakeable styling inspired by the new E-Transit Custom.

“But performance isn’t all about horsepower – the Electric SuperVan’s processing power means engineers can use real-time vehicle data to optimise its performance, just like on a top-level racing car.”

Ford’s first SuperVan was revealed in 1971 and featured a mid-mounted engine taken from the Le Mans-winning Ford GT40 to create a Transit Mk.1 unlike any other.

The formula was taken further for SuperVan 2; a glassfibre version of the Transit Mk.2 body was draped over the monocoque and 590PS Cosworth V8 of Ford’s C100 racing car.

This vehicle was later reborn as the facelifted Transit Mk.3 lookalike SuperVan 3, powered by a screaming 650PS Cosworth HB engine shared with Formula 1 cars of the era.

Ford Pro Electric SuperVan

The Ford Pro Electric SuperVan is a one-off demonstrator, leaving the Ford Design team free to create a wild-looking vehicle that grabs attention and reflects its extreme performance capability.

The outlandish wheel arches, muscular style and one-off livery help to deliver the most extreme expression of Transit design, while the all-electric powertrain offered the development team lots of freedom with fewer of the packaging and cooling restrictions that come with a combustion engine.

“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.

“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.”

Related: Electric Land Rover Defender conversion kit now available

The demonstrator vehicle’s motorsport-spec construction marries the E-Transit Custom floorpan with a steel spaceframe and lightweight composite body panels.

A bespoke 50kWh liquid-cooled battery pack is mounted for optimum weight distribution and a low centre of gravity and can be fully recharged in approximately 45 minutes using a standard electric vehicle fast-charger.

The driver can access charging and battery insights via the in-cab touchscreen.

Four electric motors together deliver approximately 2,000PS through an all-wheel drive system – enough to propel the incredible van to 62mph in under two seconds and making it comfortably the fastest SuperVan ever, as well as the cleanest.

Like any good van, the Electric SuperVan features a loadspace behind the driver; a door in the bodyside makes loading and unloading cargo easy, and Ford is developing a secure electromagnetic release system controlled via the SYNC screen.

A suite of onboard cameras can immerse audiences around the world in the action during SuperVan’s impressive high-performance runs.

As on the Ford E‑Transit, the driver can pull camera feeds onto the in-cab screen and switch between them to help position the vehicle.

Ford Performance and STARD’s motorsport input is immediately obvious; the dramatically sculpted body’s front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser would be at home on a racing car, while the radical rear design’s cutaways and dorsal fin flow into the rear wing to generate downforce and push the Electric SuperVan into the track for more grip.

The racing influence continues under the skin with unequal-length double wishbone suspension at each corner. Motorsport-grade front and rear subframes, uprights, and brakes deliver the braking and steering capability to match the enormous straight-line go.

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