Webasto and Ford Performance teamed up to create the Mustang Lithium, unveiled at SEMA 2019.
On November 5, 2019, at The SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, Webasto and Ford Performance unveiled the Lithium Mustang. This first of its kind electric vehicle boasts an 800-volt Webasto battery system and generates more than 1,000 pound-feet of torque and more than 900 horsepower, for non-car enthusiasts it means this car is powerful and fast.
Piecing It All Together
In order to make this exposition vehicle, the team started by building the vehicle in CAD 3 different times in order to maximize power and properly distribute the vehicles weight prior to assembling the finished car. A 2019 Ford Mustang Fastback was re-purposed and the gasoline engine was replaced with a dual core electric motor. There are two battery packs in the vehicle, one underneath the hood, where the motor would normally be, and one over the rear axle giving the vehicle a near 50/50 weight distribution.
The Lithium uses rear-wheel drive and several Ford Performance products are used throughout the vehicle including half shafts, the suspensions, and GT350R brakes, just to name a few. Essentially, the same components that are used in the traditional Mustang are being used for this vehicle too. A 10.4” touch screen inside the vehicle displays all the power train vitals. When designing the look of the vehicle the team wanted something that was both eye-catching and elegant but not overdone. The vehicle’s color is appropriately named Lithium Grade Pearl and has 20” Forgeline wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.
“What is amazing is Webasto has really headed into a new era, a new direction with technology."
- Dennis Pittsenbarger, Power Automedia
Electrification: The Next Frontier
The vehicle continues to highlight how Webasto is working to push the envelope when it comes to e-mobility as the company focuses on the development of several different technologies including charging stations, batteries, and electric vehicles.
The Mustang Lithium uses Webasto’s TurboDX charging system and the Webasto thermo management system is used to keep the cabin warm and the batteries at the appropriate temperature in order to maximize battery performance. Webasto is committed to improving the EV landscape and is working to get more EV drivers on the road. The creation of this vehicle, and its use of a 6-speed Getrag transmission, combines the best of both worlds: electrification and manual driving functionality that many car enthusiasts prefer. “You’re seeing companies like Webasto now getting into electric power trains; I think that signals that electricity is ready for prime time!” exclaimed Roman Mica of TFL Car.
When asked what was the driving force in creating this vehicle, Webasto’s Director of Marketing, Josh Lupu, had this to say: “[Webasto manufactures] batteries, battery systems for vehicles, thermo management for electric vehicles, and charging stations, even battery testing equipment. So we have a lot of high voltage electric products, this was an exercise in utilizing those products but also pushing the limits of performance. You can take a car and give it 1000 foot pounds of instant torque; we wanted to bring that to reality.”
