Can You Drift an Electric Car?

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17/08/2026

Creating a new generation of electric cars is an exciting challenge. From our perspective, there are two crucial factors: firstly, to ensure that the driving and ownership experience is rewarding, and secondly, making sure that we maximise the advantages that electric power gives over conventionally powered cars.

There are some obvious areas where that is the case, such as near-silent cruising, instant acceleration and lower running costs.

But there are some that are not quite so obvious — like drifting.

Die-hard sports car fans who would never consider an electric car will tell you that there are some things only an internal combustion engine car can do. But at Ford, that kind of statement just makes us even more determined to disprove those myths.

Sure, drifting is not something your average Ford owner will do, but the fundamentals required for this extreme situation also make for a better handling, more responsive car, however you choose to drive it.

So, what do you need from a car if you want to go drifting? Competition drift cars that are built solely for this purpose have some trick components, such as modified suspension that allows extra steering lock and hydraulic handbrakes, but even these extreme machines have some basic elements that can translate to road cars.

You need a low centre of gravity, as this reduces the amount of body movement when making a turn and helps the suspension to work more consistently. Ideally you also need an even weight distribution front to rear, as this makes the car more balanced and predictable when drifting.

Our Mustang Mach-E Rally 1 has a near-50/50 weight distribution, something which is harder to achieve with a combustion-engined car, and the drive battery is placed low in the chassis to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible.

You also need power and torque — as well as strong acceleration, being able to adjust the throttle precisely is essential to controlling the drift. Electric motors are ideal in this scenario as they offer instant torque — and you never run out of revs. Being based on the Mustang Mach-E GT, the Rally version is not short of either, with 487 PS and 950 Nm of torque. ²

The Mustang Mach-E Rally has another ace up its sleeve too — the RallySport drive mode. This alters the settings of the traction control, stability control, steering response and power distribution to make drifting easier and more controllable.

Although the Mustang Mach-E Rally is four-wheel-drive, the amount of power sent to the wheels is automatically adjusted, giving you more power to the rear to begin the slide and then increasing the amount sent to the front to help control the slide on the exit of the turn.

In fact, the most difficult part of drifting an electric car is learning the skill in the first place. Drifting is probably the driving style that’s most closely related to learning to ride a bicycle.

Someone can explain the mechanics and tell you what to do, but you have to experience the wobbles yourself, teaching your body to interpret the forces acting on you and the messages the car feeds you through the steering wheel to understand what’s happening.

A car that communicates is essential so you can make the right inputs to stay in control, and that’s a feature we build into every Ford car, from Puma ³ through to the Mustang Mach-E Rally.

And just like riding a bicycle, that eureka moment of catching and holding a drift is a joyous feeling. It takes a lot of time to become an expert — but the practice is a lot of fun.

Closed course. Professional driver. Do not attempt. Track capability is dependent on environmental conditions, track conditions, and driver inputs. Always consult owner’s manual and drive within your and the vehicle’s capability limits.

1 Up to 510 km driving range based on full charge of Mustang Mach-E Rally.

2 Horsepower and torque are independent attributes and may not be achieved simultaneously.

3 Puma EcoBoost Hybrid CO2 emissions 120-146 g/km and fuel efficiency 5.3‑6.5 l/100 km WLTP. Up to 417 km driving range based on full charge of 2026 MY Puma Gen-E. Estimated range using Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown are for comparability purposes and should only be compared with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. Actual range varies due to factors such as temperature, driving behaviour, route profile, vehicle maintenance, lithium-ion battery age and condition.