Romain Dumas to pilot Ford’s Supervan 4 in 101st Pikes Peak Hill Climb

French racing champion and three-time Le Mans winner Romain Dumas is to take the all-electric Ford Supervan4 to the heady heights of Pikes Peak in June.

The Supervan4, a collab between Ford Performance and STARD (Stohl Advanced Research and Development), which pioneers electric motorsport solutions, features a 50kWh ultra-high-performance-cell battery and an electric powertrain generating a whopping 2,000bhp.

With its carbon composite body kit, an FIA-spec roll cage and adjustable regenerative braking, we first saw this beastly Fast Transit back in 2022 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Now it takes on America's most famous mountain race, and the team is expecting a lot. Michael Sakowicz, an ex-racer himself and boss of STARD, said: “Supervan 4 is equipped with one of the world's most powerful electric powertrains ever developed. It has gone up the hill at Goodwood, rallied over WRC tarmac stages and more. Now, to send it to one of the world's most iconic and unique events is very exciting and STARD is proud to be a part of it.”

Dumas seems equally enthusiastic, completing his ninth appearance at Pikes Peak this year. “Ford’s latest generation of electric vehicle technology is the perfect match for America’s Mountain," he said. "With high altitudes cutting power in traditional ICE powered vehicles, the electric powertrain of Supervan 4 has no loss at elevation and will be a healthy competitor in this year's race.”

Pikes Peak is one of the most challenging events on the global motorsport calendar. Over almost 13 miles of track, teams must navigate 156 winding turns and a 4,725-ft ascent to the finish line, which sits 14,115-ft above sea level. Yet, Ford is no stranger to the competition, which it’s attended for over 100 years.

In 1916, the Model T set a finish time of 28 minutes and three seconds. Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports, said: “It’s time to take our electric vehicle technology and put it to the test on the mountain against some of the most impressive performance vehicles in the world.”