Eleanor is a bona fide Hollywood star. In fact, she’s the only Ford Mustang to receive title credits in a movie. But from now on, Eleanor should watch her back. The Charge Mustang EV is ready to hit the streets.
But what’s really special is the packaging. The Charge Mustang is essentially a first-gen Ford Mustang Fastback. But it doesn’t have a fossil-burning V6 or V8 engine under the hood.
This Mustang is packing a pair of electric motors, a large battery pack, and the numbers to make it the fastest ever 1960s Ford Mustang in existence.
Interested? Here are things you need to know about the Charge Mustang EV.
As you probably know by now, the Charge Mustang is an electric vehicle
Charge Automotive is a London-based company with a deep passion for classic automobiles. The important this is the blokes actually know what they’re doing. We’re not talking about an EV startup here; Charge has worked in various projects for McLaren Automotive, Jaguar Land Rover, and the Williams F1 racing team.
The company is taking a similar approach to Elon Musk and Tesla. Remember the first-gen Tesla Roadster? That car was based on the chassis and body style of the Lotus Elise. It’s an innovative approach that saves time and money. The Tesla Roadster allowed Musk to proceed in making the Tesla Model S and Model X. And as you know, the rest is history.
But instead of choosing a small and agile sports car, Charge wanted something more aggressive and familiar – and of course, it had to be old school. And when it comes to retro muscle cars, nothing speaks highly than the perennial Ford Mustang.
Charge Automotive decided to go with an officially licensed shell of the 1960s Ford Mustang Fastback. This instantly gives the Charge muscle car the necessary street cred.
The Charge Mustang packs a mean punch
And we mean the clean and green type of punch with zero carbon emissions and the silence of an alien spacecraft. The Charge Mustang is powered by a pair of electric motors and a 64 kWh battery pack. The electric powertrain is good for 536-horsepower and 800 pound-feet of torque. Having an electric motor in the front and back also means an independent all-wheel-drive system.
It’s a fast car with acceptable range
Yes, the Charge Mustang is no slouch despite the retro bodywork. It accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9-seconds and achieves a top speed of 149 mph.
The 64 kWh battery pack has enough juice for an estimated range of 200-miles. The Charge Mustang also comes with a 50 kW DC fast charger. Charge Automotive is working in collaboration with EV technology company Arrival and AI racing platform Roborace for the electrical components, battery systems, power electronics, and software. The company is also in close contact with French tire maker Michelin for the Charge Mustang. What we basically have here is a collaboration of great minds to produce a retro muscle car like no other.
The interior is an old school flavor with a twist
Similar to the exterior, the cabin is a pleasant ode to the simple life back then. But there’s an exemption: the large tablet-style touchscreen in the dashboard. If the ride silence is not enough giveaway, the touchscreen is the most obvious tell you’re behind the wheel of a different type of 1960s Mustang.
But this is not simply a tacked-on touchscreen for the audio and climate control system. You need it to change the drive and suspension settings along with choosing between rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The Charge Mustang is limited edition
And as with all things ‘limited’ the Charge Mustang won’t come cheap. Charge Automotive is only making 499 examples of the Mustang EV, with prices starting at £300,000 or roughly $380,000. First deliveries arrive in September.
