One of Ford Performance’s goals with its Electric Vehicle Demonstrators has been to redefine what’s possible in racing with electric powertrains. With the Ford Mustang Cobra Jet EV demonstrator, the brand has accomplished that twice.

The electric Mustang broke the world record for the quickest and fastest 1/4-mile pass with a full-bodied, fully electric car with a blistering time of 7.759 seconds at 180.14 miles per hour at the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, California over the weekend.

It’s the second time the Cobra Jet EV Demonstrator has made history with NHRA, following its original record of 8.128 seconds at 171.97 miles per hour set back in 2021.

Achieving such a feat wasn’t just a matter of pushing a button — it was the culmination of years of work and innovation, from slashing the battery system’s weight by over 40 percent, to fine-tuning the suspension geometry to perfection. As veteran electric race car developer Pat McCue puts it, the Super Cobra Jet 1800 displays the untapped potential of EVs in motorsport.

Seeing an all-electric Ford Mustang Cobra Jet tear down the NHRA strip in under eight seconds is a clear signal that Ford is not just participating in the electric revolution, but is leading it, bringing electric vehicle technology to the pinnacle of competitive racing. As the company says, every lesson it learns on the track is a step towards enhancing the performance of Ford’s EVs for consumers, especially in its advancements in hybrid technology.

The Super Cobra Jet 1800’s journey from concept to record-breaker involved significant upgrades over the previous 1,400 horsepower version. Among these were a custom control strategy and a cutting-edge, lightweight battery system, born from the collaboration between Ford Performance and MLe Racecars. The car runs on a powerhouse setup featuring four PN250DZR inverters and two double-stacked DS-250-115 motor pairings, all optimized for performance. A “blank page” redesign of the battery system achieved a staggering 30 percent power increase.