Webasto put an 800V battery system in it and Getrag a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Why would an EV need a manual gearbox? Ever? Well, perhaps because it can be loads of fun to use on the track. Or to just shift gears on a calm road trip with the family. Whatever the reason may be, the Ford Mustang Lithium has one: a robust Getrag MT82 6-speed transmission with billet internals. Only something like this could cope with the 1,000 lb-ft of torque this electric muscle car offers. It is only a pity this machine will be a one-off example.
Gallery: Ford Mustang Lithium EV Concept
Ford created it for the SEMA Show with the help of Webasto. The supplier gave the Mustang an 800V battery system that helps the car with all that torque and also with generating more than 900 hp.
The Webasto system works with what the company calls EVDrive, which the press release does not explain. The only thing we know about it is that it can discharge an MW of electricity. We will contact Webasto to learn more about this.
The Mustang Lithium is a very, very serious machine. It uses Ford Performance half shafts, Track Handling Pack and a strut tower brace, a Super 8.8 Torsen differential, Brembo six-piston front brakes from the Shelby GT350R, lightweight Forgeline wheels, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
In terms of appearance, it comes with a Webasto hood with see-through polycarbonate windows and Sankuer side splitters and rear diffuser, which have critical aerodynamic goals. The electric part of the car relies on TurboDX charging solution and a TurboCord portable charger.
The car even offers different driving setups. Valet, Sport, Track, and the suggestive Beast, obviously in a crescendo of aggressiveness. Any of them can be selected through a 10.4-in touchscreen display that is specific to the Mustang Lithium.
Considering Ford allows for a series of changes on the Mustang by custom shops, it would be nice if it licensed the Lithium to someone willing to produce it with the help of Webasto. Many customers would love to have such a mean electric machine in their garages.
Webasto and Ford Team Up for Mustang ‘Lithium’: Battery Electric Muscle Car Lights-Up SEMA, Signals Future of Performance
- Built-in collaboration between Ford and Webasto, Mustang Lithium project vehicle generates
more than 1000 ft.-lbs. of instant torque and more than 900 horsepower for new levels of
performance and technology with its 800-volt Webasto battery system with EVDrive
technology - Best of both worlds, Mustang Lithium accelerates the next generation of performance:
unique 6-speed manual shifting, track handling and stunning quarter-mile acceleration with
instant electric torque, and zero emissions - Ford is investing more than $11.5 billion in electrified vehicles by 2022, including an all-new
Mustang-inspired fully electric SUV in 2020 with targeted range of 300 miles and an all-electric F-150 in a few years, a hybrid version of the best-selling F-150 pickup available in 2020 will join all-new Ford Escape and Explorer hybrids launched this year
LAS VEGAS, Nev., Nov. 05, 2019 – Ford and Webasto today reveal Mustang Lithium, an ultra high-performance battery electric Mustang fastback prototype. With more than 1,000 ft.-lbs. of torque and more than 900 horsepower instantaneously available, this Mustang amps muscle car performance to a new level and helps gauge the level of interest the next wave of performance customers have in lightning-quick performance that only fully electric powertrains can deliver.
The Mustang Lithium build is not only a one-off prototype to showcase electrification on the world’s best-selling sports car but also a testbed for battery and thermal management technologies Webasto and Ford are creating for the growing e-mobility automotive segment.
“Ford has made no secret of the fact that we are electrifying our most popular nameplates,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s Chief Product Development and Purchasing Officer. “This one-off Mustang prototype is a great opportunity for us, together with Webasto, to showcase to our customers what a new electrified powertrains can do for performance in a car they already know and love.”
An electrified street-ready beast, Mustang Lithium is low and sleek, with custom carbon fiber body components, a 1.0-inch lowered stance and 20-inch staggered fitting forged wheels. Under the hood, the differences are electrifying: a Phi-Power dual-core electric motor and dual power inverters – all powered by an 800-volt Webasto battery system with EVDrive Technology that can discharge a mega-watt of electrical energy.
At 800 volts, that’s twice the voltage of most electric cars on the road today. This allows the system to be lighter, more powerful and generate less heat, and more electric force than most battery-electric systems on the road today.
In a unique twist, Mustang Lithium features a manual transmission and uses a drag-strip proven Calimer-version of the Getrag MT82 6-speed transmission with billet internals to handle the 1,000 ft.-lbs. of torque. Ford Performance half shafts and Super 8.8 Torsen® differential help supply power to the road via lightweight Forgeline wheels wearing Michelin® Pilot® Sport 4S tires.
Additional features include Ford Performance’s Track Handling Pack and strut tower brace, Brembo six-piston front brakes from the Shelby GT350R, Sankuer Composite Technologies side splitters and rear diffuser, plus Webasto hood with see-through polycarbonate windows, TurboDX charging solution and TurboCord portable charger.
Mustang Lithium features a unique set of drive modes that apply a controlled amount of torque for different driving scenarios including: Valet, Sport, Track and Beast, and are instantly available on demand via a custom in-dash 10.4-inch touchscreen display.
“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,” said Mark Denny, Webasto Customized Solutions North America President and CEO.
Electric drive is essential to the future of Ford
For more than 20 years, Ford has brought electric and hybrid-electric vehicles to the masses and has produced more than 800,000 around the globe.
Ford is investing more than $11.5 billion in electrified vehicles by 2022, including an all-new Mustang-inspired fully electric SUV in 2020 with range of 300 miles and an all-electric F-150 in a few years.
As Ford actively refreshes its lineup, the all-new 2020 Ford Explorer and Escape hybrid SUVs feature the company’s fourth-generation lithium-ion battery technology, similar to the energy storage system used on the Mustang Lithium. An F-150 Hybrid also arrives next year. More than the instantaneous torque of these electric drive powertrains provide, greater levels of torque management and driver control can be enabled, plus zero emissions.