Source: FordSource: FordFord's Demonstrator vehicles are wicked works of electrified machinery engineered to go fast and break records.The Supervan 4.2, F-150 Lightning Supertruck, and Mustang Cobra Jet 2200 all came about to be development test beds and, perhaps more importantly-as ways to draw attention to the brand.Yet with interest in electric vehicles taking a swift downturn, Ford might be swapping the batteries in its next Demonstrator vehicle for internal combustion engine (ICE) propulsion.ford s next supervan could ditch the ev powertrain for a gas engineIt's no secret that going fast is monumentally easier now than it used to be. So much of that is thanks to the rapidly developing technology that brought the wide world of fast EVs, like Tesla's Model S and the Lucid Sapphire. Even trucks can be terrifyingly quick; look no further than Rivian or GMC's Hummer vehicles.AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen it comes to lap times or time trials, though, it means going a bit further. Volkswagen famously lit up the Pikes Peak Hill Climb timing tree with its Volkswagen I.D. R, which then spurred an onslaught of other electric entrants trying to get up to the top of the hill faster than the rest.VW might still have a leg up on Ford when it comes to these numbers, besting the latter's F-150 Lightning Supertruck by roughly 50 seconds, but they live in different classes. And when it comes to drama, the tire-smoking Ford is simply in a class of its own.Source: FordSource: FordAnd now it seems that Ford is going to change the direction of its Demonstrator vehicles, largely due to the lack of enthusiasm surrounding electric race vehicles. Let's face it: Formula E is fun to watch, but without the sound of gas being burned up and fired out a vehicle's exhaust, it's just a bit dull comparatively.AdvertisementAdvertisementFord Racing knows this, and Mark Rushbrook, the brand's Global Director, recently told Autocar that they steered clear of Formula E "because we did not feel existing electric series were right for us." Note that as of this year, Ford now supplies the engines for the Red Bull and Racing Bulls Formula 1 teams, so they have their hearts set on gas-powered speed.To echo this, Ford very well might be shoving ICE powertrains into its next round of go-and-show concoctions. Rushbook went on to say, "We'll continue to do Demonstrators, but we're not going to restrict ourselves to full electric," he explained. "We still have a lot of electric cars in our future, but we also have a lot of hybrids coming, and we also have a lot of combustion vehicles coming. So we'll do more demonstrators, but you will see more powertrain technology in them, not just full-electric."Gas might not be as fast as electric, but it's certainly more dramatic, and drama is exactly what the Demonstrator rigs are about.So Ford might not win the Pikes Peak or Goodwood Festival of Speed hill climb events, or set the fastest time around the Nürburgring, but when Ford is facing the choice of fun and development versus pigeonholing themselves into the EV world, it sounds like they're made their decision.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.