And is ready to fight V8 fans.
The automotive world is rapidly electrifying, with most manufacturers promising all-electric lineups within the next few decades, putting the industry at odds with die-hard lovers of ICE powertrains. For American manufacturers like Ford, the shift to EVs seems to be paying off: its first production EV, the Mustang Mach-E has gone down well, even with die-hard Ford fans, and sales are booming, but in a world deprived of exhaust orchestras, what are Ford aficionados supposed to do? Drop Tesla powertrains in fifth-gen Mustangs, of course. Nate Stewart, an engineer for the AEM EV company has transformed this fifth-gen 'Stang, into a silent killer with the help of a Tesla LDU electric motor unit out of a Model S, and it makes us believe that the future of hot rodding isn't as bleak as we once thought.
The 'Testang' as he calls it is based on a 2007 Ford Mustang GT that has undergone extensive modification and now packs a big electric punch thanks to some Tesla hot sauce. Stewart found this Mustang on Craigslist complete with a Tesla drivetrain. The previous owner had done all the work in his garage, and the car came complete with a Sport-based Large Drive Unit (LDU). The Testang is used to test out new AEM EV parts, and when the guys swapped out the sporty LDU unit for a standard version, they added their own Inverter Control Board (ICB) which manages features such as regenerative braking, battery management, thermal management, and even torque delivery. The plan is to use this Mustang as a development car for the company's ICB units and the company hopes to get its ICB ready for the more stringent demands of the sport LDU.
The exterior may look close to stock, but a ton of changes have taken place under the skin: the rear subframe assembly can now be removed by undoing only four bolts and the transmission shifter has been replaced by a push-button system. A set of big six-pot Wilwood brakes brings the fun to a screeching halt. The interior has been given a makeover too, with a large infotainment display in the center console, while the old cluster has been replaced with an AEM display. This Mustang uses passive cooling for everything but the main drive unit, and AEM has been able to shift most of the cooling system weight over the rear wheels, aiding traction.
The Testang can be charged using a standard Tesla charger, and we can only imagine what kind of looks this thing must attract at the local Supercharging station. AEM EV plans to throw the Testang on the dyno in its next video to see what kind of power it makes. Once AEM gets everything perfectly dialed, it should race the V8-swapped Tesla.
Keyword: Tesla-Powered Ford Mustang Is An Electric Monster