Ford's Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800 aims for world EV speed records

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Ford Performance has unveiled the Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800, an all-electric drag car that will aim for several quarter-mile NHRA world records for battery-powered vehicles.

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Ford's Mustang Super Cobra Jet 1800 aims for world EV speed records Back to video

It’s the evolution of one of those record holders, the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400, which took 8.128 seconds to cover a quarter mile at 171.97 mph (276.7 km/hr), the world record for a full-bodied electric vehicle. The record was set in Norwalk, Ohio by driver Bob Tasca III, and the car was a collaborative effort between Ford Performance, MLe Racecars, AEM-EV, Cascadia Motion, and Watson Engineering.

The new car is an upgrade on the Cobra Jet 1400, with a new transmission; lighter-weight battery system designed by Ford Performance and MLe Racecars; a revised rear end with improved suspension geometry; and larger Mickey Thompson tires. The car also features upgraded software designed in-house by Ford Performance, with new dash and power distribution system, and new data acquisition system.

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The car retains its propulsion system of four inverters with two double-stacked motors, but increased to 1,800 horsepower, up from the 1,400 horsepower in the Cobra Jet 1400. The car has also had “hundred of pounds in weight” removed, the automaker said. The Super Cobra Jet name was first used for the 1969 Mustang as an upgrade to the standard Cobra Jet package.

It’s expected to be driven by Pat McCue, co-founder of MLe Racecar and its official program test driver, for the record-attempt runs. In addition to attempting to break the Cobra Jet 1400’s record, the Super Cobra Jet 1800 will also be aimed at the records for fastest electric vehicle 0-60 mph, and fastest two-wheel-drive electric vehicle 0-60 mph, during an NHRA event later this year. The NHRA added electric vehicle classes in 2022.

“We’re always looking to push ourselves in every corner of the motorsport world,” said mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “Drag racing remains a key proving ground for our products and technology, and we’re excited to not only try to best our own record in the quarter-mile, but to further showcase ongoing development we continue to make across the entire electric vehicle landscape.”