Ford’s Mustang Cobra Jet sets a new EV quarter mile record at 6.87 seconds


Ford Racing’s Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 just ran a quarter mile in 6.87 seconds at 221 mph at an NHRA event in Charlotte, setting a new world record for an EV. The run smashed Ford’s own previous EV record of 7.62 seconds, set by the Cobra Jet 1800 last September, by an impressive 0.75 seconds.

As the name suggests, Ford’s Cobra Jet 2200 puts a massive 2,200 horsepower to the wheels thanks to a newly designed electric motor and inverter combo. Ford elected to use two motors and inverters instead of four of each as before to reduce complexity and boost efficiency to 98 percent. Overall power is up by 600 horsepower, but the motors and inverters weigh half as much as before. Everything runs on a 900-volt architecture and 32 kWh battery that charges in 20 minutes, easily enough for the NHRA’s 45-minute turnaround rule.

The car has some unusual features for an EV like a clutch that lets the driver dump all the power to the road instantly for maximum acceleration. It also uses a multi-speed transmission that allows the car to run in its ideal power band through the duration of the run — reducing the quarter-mile time by up to a second, according to Ford. The battery design also allowed the team to tune weight distribution for optimal traction. Another racing touch is a pyrotechnic circuit breaker that can instantly break the high-voltage connection via a small explosive charge to align with NHRA safety rules.

Some of this tech, like the high-efficiency motors and 900 volt system, could conceivably trickle down to consumer vehicles. Unfortunately, Ford and other US automakers have significantly reduced their investment in BEV technology of late. Ford recently announced that it would reboot the F-150 Lightning as an EREV with a gas generator, while last week GM delayed its next-gen full-size EV pickups and SUVs — all in the face of rapidly rising gasoline prices.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    National Science Board eviscerated; Trump admin fires all 22 members

    All 22 members of the National Science Board were terminated by the Trump administration via a terse email Friday. The administration has provided no explanation for purging the board, which…

    The Man Behind AlphaGo Thinks AI Is Taking the Wrong Path

    David Silver gave the world its very first glimpse of superintelligence. In 2016, an AI program he developed at Google DeepMind, AlphaGo, taught itself to play the famously difficult game…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    3 new Liberal MPs take their seats after byelections that secured majority – National

    3 new Liberal MPs take their seats after byelections that secured majority – National

    U.S. offers no help with Iran war fallout, Thai foreign minister says

    U.S. offers no help with Iran war fallout, Thai foreign minister says

    Scientists may have found the brain’s switch for chronic pain

    Scientists may have found the brain’s switch for chronic pain

    Trump says Iran has ‘days left’ before it’s forced to halt oil production. Others say it could be 2 months.

    Trump says Iran has ‘days left’ before it’s forced to halt oil production. Others say it could be 2 months.

    Swinney will call vote on referendum powers after Scottish elections | Scotland

    Swinney will call vote on referendum powers after Scottish elections | Scotland

    National Science Board eviscerated; Trump admin fires all 22 members

    National Science Board eviscerated; Trump admin fires all 22 members