Ford will return to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with an electric vehicle this year, aiming for another impressive EV showing at the legendary race.
The automaker confirmed Thursday in a press release that it would send a new one-off demonstrator based on the Mustang Mach-E to the 2025 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, scheduled for late June. It follows EV demonstrators based on the F-150 Lightning pickup truck and Transit van that ran in 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Ford revealed no information yet about this Mach-E-based race car but said it will be driven by Romain Dumas, who also drove both of those demonstrators—the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck and 2023’s SuperVan 4.2. Dumas holds the overall record at Pikes Peak, at 7:57.148, set in the Volkswagen ID.R in 2018.
2018 Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak race car
The Frenchman wasn’t able to break his own record in 2024, but he did set the fastest time of last year’s hill climb, at 8:53.533, in the wild SuperTruck, which paired a 1,600-hp propulsion system and an elaborate aerodynamics package developing a claimed 6,000 pounds of downforce at 150 mph to help stick the tires to the narrow and twisting road to the 14,115-foot summit.
Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck at 2024 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The 12.5-miles race route is a public road with a very low speed limit the rest of the year.
EVs have been gaining momentum at Pikes Peak, where they have an advantage over oxygen-breathing internal-combustion engines. The less-dense air at altitude robs power from those engines, but not electric motors.
Closed-course records may not be relevant to the average car buyer, but racing is an important part of car enthusiasm, and helps create a positive image for EVs among the people who view cars as more than just basic transportation. And unlike dedicated electric racing series, Pikes Peak shows that EVs can go up against gasoline cars and win—something Ford is likely hoping to continue doing in 2025.
Read the full article here
