The new Ford is all about electric vehicles and American roots. And with the latter come thrilling gimmicks like a burnout mode. A patent filing reveals that the brand wants a performance mode for its electric models that enables intentional wheel spin to heat or smoke the tires. The patent includes images of the Mustang Mach-E, suggesting that this crossover may be the first to receive the new mode.

Visual displays of power are quintessential in the US and nonetheless so for brands who profile themselves as sporty and performance-oriented. Ford’s ‘new age’ Burn Out Mode can brake the front wheels while applying torque to the rear axle under a line lock, as witnessed in dragster races. It applies to all-wheel drive models.

Happy tire shops

Interestingly, the procedure can be reversed. As the text in the patent states: “A sequential maneuver that spins tires of the first axle followed by tires of the second axle may be performed by specified manipulation of the brake pedal and accelerator pedal.”

Spinning front wheels is a nice add-on. While the whole system contradicts AWD’s technical effectiveness, namely preventing wheelspin, it sure makes for a showstopper. And a happy tire supplier. There’s a benefit in it as well, as warmed-up tires improve acceleration times.

The patent doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Ford has previously revealed the Mustang Mach-E 1400 Prototype, capable of four-wheel burnouts, thanks to seven electric motors and a total output of 1 400 hp.

The carmaker also mentions reserving the mode for track use or a closed course. We wonder if the navigation system will check this by geofencing… No FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is involved, as the burnout function will be downloadable by an over-the-air update on existing models.

Bridging the gap

In the electric transition, several carmakers are looking into ways of transferring some of the nostalgic joy to the often duller portrayed battery-powered models. Lexus is developing a manual gearbox for its next-gen zero-emission sports car, which only gives the driver the ‘impression’ of gear-shifting.

Dodge unveiled a chambered exhaust system called Fratzonic on the Charger EV. It’s basically a thunderous set of speakers emulating the roar of a Hellcat version. Hyundai will launch a drift mode on the upcoming N version of the Ioniq 5.

It’s easy to whiff these gadgets away as pathetic, but if it adds some excitement to saving the planet from warming up, why not? Many people would be tempted to argue this way. The vast amount of fine particular matter blown into the air coming with such a tire burnout, conveniently left aside?