Ford 'SuperVan' turns heads with record-breaking run on racetrack: 'Ford has done the impossible'

The Ford Performance team and its souped-up all-electric SuperVan 4.2 set a record on Germany's Nürburgring racetrack with a lap time of just 6 minutes, 48.393 seconds.

Romain Dumas, the man behind the wheel, secured the title of fastest van ever on the course and placed among the top 10 fastest cars on the track, according to a video shared by DPCcars. 

"Ford has done the impossible," the description proclaimed. 

The SuperVan is no ordinary electric vehicle, with racing slick tires and a 2,000-horsepower electric motor under the hood. Its silhouette only vaguely resembles the Ford Transit van that it's based on.

Ford's record was dedicated to the late Nürburgring legend Sabine Schmitz, who raced an actual Ford Transit in 2009 as part of a challenge for Top Gear. 

Ford's F-150 Lightning SuperTruck also hit the track and posted a time of 6:43.483, Ford reported, the fifth-fastest prototype lap in history. 

The F-150 was the United States' top-selling electric pickup during the first quarter, bumping the Tesla Cybertruck, which held that spot in 2024. 

These accomplishments highlight a promising future for EVs in professional motorsports, where efficient and sustainable EVs have bested gas-powered stalwarts such as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the video noted.

Electric vehicles produce no tailpipe emissions, and while some electricity used to power these vehicles may still come from dirty fuels, they're fully capable of relying solely on renewable resources such as solar and wind power. 

Plus, electric vehicles are far more efficient. They're able to use 87-91% of the energy from their batteries and regenerative braking to propel them, while gasoline-powered cars top out at around 25% efficiency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says. 

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The success of the Ford Performance prototypes on the track at the Nürburgring could eventually lead to better features for everyday EVs. 

"These aren't just cool concept cars. They're based on the trucks and vans you love that actually do the work," a spokesperson said. "SuperTruck and SuperVan represent technologies that will end up in vehicles carrying your business, your crew, your family."

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