The automotive world is full of wild and out-of-this-world creations. Pretty much everyone loves them, from the incredibly fast and capable examples like the Bugatti Chiron to the GR Yaris which we are still struggling to believe Toyota even made in the first place. But possibly the most outlandish is the Ford Transit Supervan, and now, after nearly 30 years, there's a new one.

This latest edition of the most ridiculous commercial vehicle is the Supervan 4. Well, technically it is called the "Ford Pro Electric Supervan" but we're going to stick with Supervan 4. The headline figures are that this preposterous all-electric machine produces 2,000 horsepower and 1,328 pound-feet of torque. Before we get into the nuts and bolts, let us take a look at Supervan 1 through 3.

The Family history

The first Supervan debuted in 1971 and comprised of a GT40 chassis and powertrain, including a 435 horsepower 5.0-liter V-8, glued to the body of a 1965 transit van.

Supervan 2 followed in 1984 and followed the same basic formula. The chassis and powertrain were from a Ford Group C racing car. The engine was a 3.9-liter Cosworth DFL V-8 making about 590 horsepower and could rev to 9,500 RPM. The body was made of fiberglass and was a simple reconstruction of a second-gen Transit but featured a front splitter, rear wing, and massive engine air intakes.

Supervan 3 debuted in 1994 and featured the same chassis and construction as Supervan 2, except with styling that was much more 1990s and a 3.5-liter Cosworth HB V-8 that could make about 650 horsepower. Later Ford replaced that engine with a tamer 3.0-liter V-6.

Ford's Supervan 4 - An Electric High-Performance Van

The battery is a 50kWh liquid-cooled Lithium-ion slab that gives about 22 miles of range in race pace. That battery sends juice to four electric motors, two on each axle. Each set of motors is connected to a differential and gearbox. Specifically a two-speed box in the rear and a single speed in the front, like a Porsche Taycan. The estimated 0-60 mph sprint takes about two seconds. That means there is no sophisticated torque vectoring, but it does mean you can simply unbolt a set of motors and carry on your way (can we please get a 1,000 horsepower front-wheel-drive Supervan just to see what happens?).

There are several race-spec goodies on board as well, Alcon brakes made of steel, so they work in nearly any situation, an FIA spec roll cage, a tubular space frame chassis, and double-wishbone suspension.

Of course, being an over-powered modern EV there are several driving modes; Road, Track, Drag, Drift, and Rally. The main change for each is re-mapping the torque delivery, regenerative braking, and control responses to suit each scenario. There is also a tire cleaning mode that brakes one axle at a time while simultaneously gunning the other to scrub off any debris before a hot lap.

Inside, there is the familiar 15.5-inch infotainment screen from the Mustang Mach-E, a racing steering wheel, racing seats with full harnesses, a hydraulic handbrake, and not much else. In the infotainment, you can even tell the system what kind of surface you are on and how much grip you want.

Lastly, aerodynamics are an obstacle for a vehicle with the general proportions of a vending machine, so Ford had to think outside the box, or, in a way, inside the box. To stop all the air from having to go around the Supervan 4, Ford cut out an intake where the front grille would be and connected it to a tunnel that goes straight through the interior of the van and exits above the rear license plate.

There are also gaping air tunnels reminiscent of the Ford GT on the back of the body, which compliment the downforce benefits of the rear diffuser, rear wing, side skirts, and front splitter. Ford claims this adds up to 500 kilograms (1102 pounds) of downforce at 186 mph.

Why Did Ford Build A New Supervan?

All Supervans have been built for promotion. Essentially, Ford wants to promote a new product, so they merge something crazy with their normal but iconic van. The Mustang Mach-E 1400 from 2020 had the same purpose. it was to draw people's attention to the new Mustang Mach-E, and that's exactly what it did.

Ford has just started taking orders for the new electric Transit, the E-Transit. What better way to draw attention than to make an electric Transit with over ten times the power? The official debut with any driving involved will be at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed and will be piloted by Romain Dumas. he currently holds the FOS record in the VW ID. R.