Bringing “fun” to EVs has been something of a challenge for automakers. Without an engine and drivetrain for theatre and noise, automakers have turned to other methods of making an EV interesting for the casual internal combustion enthusiast. Ford has decided that burnouts will make the strongest argument, according to a patent application filed by the company.
According to a patent application found by CarBuzz, Ford is attempting to make a “Burnout Mode” for its EVs, detailing an “electric vehicle performance mode with intentional wheelspin for tire heating.” The application continued to say that the mode will “provide a visual display of power.” Weirdest of all, the mode will work on both axles of its all-wheel-drive EVs.
Currently, line-lock is available on the Ford Mustang, which is very fitting for the vibe and technically for track use only. But let’s be real, burnouts are a selling point of a V8 muscle car, as is a general hooligan attitude. Bringing that to an EV is in the domain of the Mustang brand, and would likely go on the Mach-E GT.
In the patent application, the drawings look largely like a Ford Mustang Mach-E, and it also has some details about how the mode would work. It will be able to brake the front wheels independently while applying torque to the rear, but it can also do the opposite. That’s right, it will be able to do front-wheel-drive burnouts, apparently with the goal of heating all four tires evenly for traction. But really, it’s mostly for some theater and show.
It is not, however, going to be a four-wheel burnout mode it seems. Physically, this is impossible without major horsepower to overcome the traction of all four wheels. But getting a dedicated burnout mode that cycles both the front and rear will be a neat trick for future fast Ford EVs.
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