This is how you fuse timeless design with modern technology
Before the Ford Mustang Mach-E saw the light of day in 2020, a London-based startup that goes by the name of Charge Automotive was already offering the Mustang with a pure electric drivetrain that boasts a Taycan-rivaling range of 200 miles (322 km).
Admittedly, it did sound a little too ambitious for a startup but the company proved how serious they were with the project by bringing a prototype of the electrified Mustang to the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed. As you can see, the thing is gorgeous and looks exactly like the original, save for a few minor details.
The company says it used officially licensed shells to “preserve the classic design and styling” of a 1960s Mustang and this prototype shows exactly how the finished product looks like. However, everything under the skin is what makes this Mustang a really unique proposition.
The much revered V8 is gone, replaced by four electric motors – one for each wheel – effectively giving the Mustang all-independent wheel drive (AiWD). The setup produces a total system output of 400 kW (544 PS), 1,200 Nm of motor torque and 7,500 Nm of wheel torque, allowing the car to sprint from 0 to 96 km/h in 3.9 seconds. That’s more than a second slower than what the Tesla Model S Plaid is capable of but keep in mind that the Tesla has 1,100 hp on tap.
The go-juice for the electric motors is provided by a 64 kWh battery pack, which is charged via a 50-kW DC charging system. As aforementioned, a full charge will give this Mustang a range of 322 km. Of course, the actual range depends on several factors, including driving style, speed, vehicle load, and weather conditions, to name a few.
It is worth noting that although Charge Automotive has engineers who have previously worked with McLaren Automotive, Jaguar Land Rover and some unnamed F1 teams, the electric drivetrain is supplied by another UK tech company called Arrival.
The company plans to build 499 units of the electric Mustang and each will be priced at a hefty £300,000 (RM1.7 million) excluding options and accessories. A quick look at the website shows that the car is still available for bookings.
