In the early ‘60s, Ford Europe had taken a different approach than the Ford friends from across the pond. Seeing the popularity of the Ford vans, they decided to build a SuperVan out of one. Since the Ford GT40 was dominating the racetrack and the Ford van was dominating European sales, why not combine the two? A wild idea, but it seemed to work as Europe has had a healthy obsession with vans for decades now. While this is all ancient history and barely had any direct spawn from the crazy creation, things recently took a turn as Ford released a new SuperVan.
Ford recently returned with a new SuperVan with an eco-conscious mindset. The new van lacks the GT40 powertrain, but does implement fully-electric motors that boasts of making close to 2,000 horsepower. Yes, you read that figure correctly. While this is more advocating for their recent performance EV vehicles, this one brings on a little more fury than the Mach E GT or F-150 Lightning. This new SuperVan is sporting four electric motors, allowing it to achieve sub-two second 0-60 mph times!
These four electric motors are able to transfer the power to the four wheels, while being powered by a 50kWh liquid-cooled battery. The battery allows the van to have a lower center of gravity as it sits near the floor. Given the battery size, it’s easy to see how this would take under an hour to charge, but since it’s geared for racing the range specs will probably not be released.
Since Europe has a deep appreciation for the Ford vans, it comes as no surprise that the new SuperVan would have originated from there. The new SuperVan is actually based on an E-Transit Custom, before it was reinforced with a steel frame and FIA safety features like roll cage and seats. Once safety and chassis reinforcement was taken care of, the SuperVan was cloaked in lightweight composite body panels.
Ford selected the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed as the location to debut this new SuperVan. Romain Dumas has been chosen to pilot it through the tight corners and hay stacks that line the outer edge of the track. Now, before my stateside comrades ask, no, Ford Motor Company has not released any details that this will be making an appearance on our side of the pond. Perhaps this was to avoid it stealing the limelight of the new F-150 Lightning or maybe the last time Europe brought something over we tossed it in the bay. Till then, keep a watch as this SuperVan is destined to be a quick one!