Ford is readying itself for the 101st running of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb — an event it’s been involved with since the very beginning — and entering the all-electric SuperVan 4.
The famous race climbs Pikes Peak, named in honour of Zebulon Pike, despite the American explorer never reaching the summit. Situated just outside Colorado Springs, the mountain has hosted the hill climb event since 1916, when Ford entered a Model T. The famous motor car climbed the 14,115ft peak in a little over 28 minutes, although the record is now held by a race-prepared Volkswagen ID R, which reached the top in 7 minutes 57 seconds.
Over the years, Ford has entered vehicles from across its range, from that initial Model T to last year’s Mustang Shelby GT500SE. Several iconic drivers have steered the Fords up the mountain, from record breakers Curtis Tanner and Parnelli Jones in the 1960s to the late Ken Block’s incredible Hoonicorn run up the mountain for Climbkhana.
This year will be a little different, as Ford is sending the battery-powered SuperVan 4 up the hill, piloted by Pikes Peak
record holder and three-time Le Mans winner Romain Dumas. Duimas has entered the race eight previous times, so he is well-versed in the demanding twists and turns of the challenge.
“The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the perfect next stop for Ford Performance and is the perfect place to take SuperVan 4, as both have long, storied histories that ignite the imagination of racing fans all over the world,” stated Mark Rushbrook, global director of Ford Performance Motorsports. “Both have evolved over time, and it’s time to take our electric vehicle technology and put it to the test on the mountain against some of the most impressive performance vehicles in the world.”
“Ford’s latest generation of Electric vehicle technology is the perfect match for America’s Mountain,” said Dumas. “With high altitudes cutting power in traditional ICE-powered vehicles, the electric powertrain of SuperVan 4 has no loss at elevation and will be a healthy competitor in this year’s race.”
The Ford SuperVan 4
SuperVan 4 is the latest in a line of Transit-based vehicles Ford has built, each offering more spectacular power than the last. The original 1971 SuperVan was more GT40 sportscar than van, with a Transit body placed over the chassis and its 400hp, 5.0-litre V8 engine.
Twelve years later, Ford built SuperVan 2 around a Group C prototype racing chassis and its 3.9-litre V8 engine, boosting power to 590hp. SuperVan 3 continued with the same chassis but, celebrating Ford’s championship-winning involvement in Formula 1, switched the power to a 650hp, 3.5-litre V8 engine from the back of Michael Schumacher’s Benetton.
SuperVan 4 continues the tradition, pushing the limits of what’s possible in a van body. Built as a joint effort between Ford Performance and Austrian racing team STARD, it’s powered by a 50kWh battery pack providing energy to four electric motors — one for each wheel — that produce an astonishing 2,000hp.
“SuperVan 4 is equipped with one of the world´s most powerful electric powertrains ever developed,” said STARD CEO Michael Sakowicz. “It has gone up the hill at Goodwood, rallied over WRC tarmac stages and more. Now, to send it to one of the world´s most iconic and unique events is very exciting, and STARD is proud to be a part of it.”
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