A dual-core electric motor with more than 900 hp and 1,000 lb-ft of torque connected to a six-speed Getrag MT82 manual gearbox, complete with a traditional clutch and gear lever. On an electric vehicle, where maximum torque arrives instantly, this combination made little technical sense. Yet it formed the heart of the Ford Mustang Lithium, a working prototype that Ford Performance and Webasto presented at the 2019 SEMA Show.
Ford Mustang Lithium: the 900-hp electric Mustang with a manual gearbox
Ford did not choose the manual gearbox for engineering necessity. The company wanted to show that an electric car could preserve the physical involvement of traditional driving without using artificial sounds or simulated gear changes. To handle the motor’s instant torque, Ford heavily reinforced the MT82 transmission with stronger gears and specific components. Ford Performance half-shafts and a Torsen Super 8.8 differential completed the setup, allowing the prototype to manage stresses far beyond those of a traditional Mustang GT.
The electric architecture also looked advanced for the time. The Mustang Lithium used an 800-volt system, a very rare solution among production electric cars in 2019. Webasto split the energy storage into two separate battery packs: one under the hood in place of the combustion engine, and one above the rear axle in the area normally occupied by the fuel tank. Each pack could offer up to 35 kWh, for a potential total of around 70 kWh. This layout helped create a weight distribution close to 50:50, further supported by the Ford Performance Track Handling Pack and six-piston Brembo brakes derived from the Shelby GT350R.
Inside, the driver could manage performance through four modes: Valet, Sport, Track and Beast. Each mode changed the way the car delivered torque, while Beast mode unlocked the full potential of the powertrain. The body closely followed the lines of the Mustang GT, making the prototype almost indistinguishable at first glance from a combustion-powered version.
The Mustang Lithium never entered production, and it probably never will, especially since Ford has stated that there will never be an electric Mustang. The company instead chose the Mach-E route, a far more commercial electric crossover that retained little from the 2019 prototype beyond the Mustang name. Even so, the Lithium’s Getrag manual gearbox and 900 hp still represent Ford’s most radical attempt to transfer the DNA of American muscle cars into the electric era.
