If an electric van can win the legendary Pikes Peak hill climb, it can only be this one

A van in the legendary race to the clouds? It wouldn’t be the first time. But the SuperVan 4.2 with which Ford will take part in the 101st edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is no ordinary van. Nor is the driver that Ford Performance has chosen for such a special “mission”: Romain Dumas, a French driver with vast experience who, besides having won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times, boasts no fewer than four victories at Pikes Peak, the last of them in the Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak with electric propulsion.

As you can see, Ford Performance has taken this very seriously. Ford has not missed the appointment with the legendary Pikes Peak climb since its first edition in 1916. Although things have changed a great deal since the Ford Model T that took part in that first race, the Ford SuperVan 4.2 is a van based on the SuperVan 4 that is already much more than a mere demonstration vehicle.

Three electric motors and more than 1,400 CV of power

The conditions and demands of a challenge like Pikes Peak have forced the Ford Performance teams and their partners for this project, STARD Advanced Research and Development, to give it their all.

Based on the Ford SuperVan 4, the new SuperVan 4.2 features completely reworked aerodynamics, with a front splitter and a carbon-fibre rear wing that will help the “super-van” tackle the 156 corners on its climb to the summit, located 4,302 metres above sea level, at the highest possible speed. The downforce the new bodywork is capable of generating, that is, the force pressing the car onto the road produced by the air pressure, is up to 2 tonnes at a speed of 240 km/h.

But where the SuperVan 4.2 truly sets itself apart is in its propulsion system. Instead of four electric motors, three are used, one on the front axle and two on the rear, for a total system power of more than 1,050 kW, which is… 1,400 CV! To supply the motors with energy, a high-performance lithium polymer battery is used, and the energy regeneration system can reach a recovery capacity of up to 600 kW.

The SuperVan’s preparation is completed with new transmission shafts, a methacrylate windscreen that helps reduce weight, forged magnesium wheels with Pirelli P Zero competition tyres, and a braking system with carbon-ceramic discs.

How high will the Ford SuperVan 4.2 be able to go on Sunday 22 June 2023? Surely higher than many imagine. Time will tell.

Related information of interest

• Alpine A110 Pikes Peak: 500 CV to conquer the sky
• Ford Pro SuperVan: 200 CV to shake things up at Goodwood
• The Volkswagen I.D. R electric makes history on the Pikes Peak climb