Ford's Electric Racer Returns to Pike's Peak for 2026 Win

Ford's electric racing dream got a second chance when the automaker announced its Super Mustang Mach-E will return to Pike's Peak International Hill Climb in 2026, hungry for redemption after last year's weather-shortened race.

The 103-year-old competition, nicknamed "Race to the Clouds," climbs from 9,390 feet to 14,110 feet over 12.42 miles of twisting mountain road. It's one of motorsport's most grueling tests, where thin air has traditionally punished gas-powered engines that need oxygen for combustion.

That's where electric vehicles shine. Without needing oxygen to burn fuel, EVs perform better as the air gets thinner, not worse. The all-time course record belongs to an electric Volkswagen that completed the climb in just under eight minutes in 2018.

Last year, Ford brought its Super Mustang Mach-E, a low-slung racecar that shares only a name with the consumer SUV. Driver Romain Dumas, the same racer who set that 2018 electric record in the VW, piloted the Ford to a class win and second place overall.

But Ford wanted more. High winds on race day threatened rockfalls at the summit, forcing organizers to shorten the course for safety. The decision cut off the upper mountain where electric vehicles gain their biggest advantage over gas engines.

Dumas believed he would have won the full race. "The mountain decides," he said after crossing the finish line.

The Bright Side

Now Ford gets another shot, and they're not showing up unprepared. The automaker confirmed "updated specs" for the 2026 Super Mustang Mach-E, though they're keeping those improvements secret for now. With the same winning combination of car and championship-caliber driver, Ford enters as an immediate contender.

The announcement shows how electric racing technology keeps pushing forward, even when Mother Nature has other plans. Each attempt teaches engineers more about maximizing performance in extreme conditions, lessons that eventually trickle down to the EVs people drive every day.

For racing fans, it means another chance to watch electric vehicles dominate one of motorsport's most demanding stages. For Ford, it's unfinished business on a mountain that's been testing drivers since 1916.

Sometimes the best victories are the ones you have to earn twice.