The 278bhp Ford 'Eluminator' Electric Crate Motor Is Yours For $3,900

First teased via some CAD drawings, Ford’s Eluminator electric crate motor has now been given the full reveal treatment at the SEMA show in Las Vegas. This includes a divulging of stats, and they’re pretty impressive.

Based on the motor used in the Mach-E GT, the Eluminator is good for 278bhp and 317lb ft of torque. It can spin up to 13,800rpm, weighs 93kg, and with a length of 570mm it’s about 90mm shorter than an Ecoboost 2.3-litre inline-four petrol engine.

It’ll set you back $3,900, which doesn’t sound too bad at all considering the Ecoboost was - when still on sale - $6,600 in crate form. A battery isn’t included, however, and Ford doesn’t sell one just yet. You’ll also need to find yourself an inverter and a control system.

The motor is intended to be mounted transversely, but given the compact size, we’d imagine there’d be a decent amount of flexibility when it comes to installation options. To show exactly how an Eluminator build might shape up, Ford put two of the things in a 1978 F-100 pickup truck (one for each axle), powering them with a battery pack also taken from the Mach-E GT.

This makes for a total output of 473bhp and 634lb ft of torque. Even with that hefty battery pack, those numbers should make for one nicely quick and relatively quiet old pick-up. Power goes to the tarmac via a set of 275mm-wide Michelin Latitude Sport tyres wrapping 19-inch custom billet aluminium three-piece wheels from Forgeline.

Inside there’s a billet aluminium dashboard made by JJR Fabrication and some lovely avocado-tanned leather from MDM Upholstery. The steering wheel, column and the giant tablet-style infotainment system and other elements are lifted from the Mach-E.

Feeling inspired by the F-100? The Eluminator is on sale now and legal in all 50 states. There’s no word on future availability across the pond, but Ford Performance doesn’t directly sell crate internal combustion engines to consumers here in the UK, and we’d imagine it’ll be the same deal for this new electric one.