- Ford’s new Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 is the fastest electric drag racer on the quarter mile.
- To set the record, engineers had to shed serious weight, including using slimmer vinyl.
- Despite having more power than the previous Super Cobra Jet 1800, the new model is over 900 lbs lighter.
Ford might have given up on the F-150 Lightning, but the American automotive giant is not ready to completely call it quits on EVs just yet. That’s because a souped-up Ford Mustang just set the record for the fastest electric car on the quarter mile in the United States.
This is the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet 2200, and it crossed the finish line at this weekend’s NHRA Charlotte event in 6.76 seconds, hitting a top speed of 222 miles per hour. That’s a big win for both Ford and electric cars, but it couldn’t have been done without help from some old-school technology that’s usually found in gas-powered drag cars.
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Source: Ford
Like most quarter-mile monsters, Ford’s Cobra Jet 2200 just happens to look like the two-door road-going Mustang, but it is in fact a completely custom machine under the skin. We’re talking about a tubeframe chassis, a carbon-fiber body, and a pair of 1,200-horsepower electric motors that sit under the hood.
This is not something that you see every day, and it will likely be reserved for the motorsport world for a long time, but some parts of this build might trickle down to production EVs.
The Cobra Jet 2200 is not Ford’s first foray into the electric drag racing world. Its predecessors were the Super Cobra Jet 1400 and the Super Cobra Jet 1800, both of which were less powerful and significantly heavier. Through what seems like magic, Ford engineers managed to make the new Cobra Jet 900 pounds lighter than the Super Cobra Jet 1800, which was already 1,000 pounds lighter than the 1400.
But that’s not all. The two electric motors not only send 2,200 horsepower to the wheels—they also have to deliver a whopping 1,340 pound-feet of torque, so engineers had to find a way to put all of that oomph down without breaking stuff. And even though this is one of the most advanced electric powertrains in the business, Ford had to use a tried-and-true five-speed transmission that’s usually found in gas drag cars.
Ford developed a Reverse-Acting Centrifugal Clutch (RACC) and paired it with a clutchless transmission to help manage how power is applied on the track. The centrifugal clutch allows the car to launch in direct drive and then slip during shifts to prevent tire slip and keep the car controlled during the entirety of the run.
“The official results from the event matter, and we are proud of what the team achieved,” said Nick Kuhajda, Ford Racing Engineering Manager, Electric Vehicle Demonstrators. “But what excites me just as much is what comes next. Every pass of the Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 gives us information and adds to our understanding. Every milestone creates a new target. That is how serious racing programs evolve, and that is how meaningful technical progress happens to make better products for our customers.”
