Ford Eluminator Electric Crate Motor Aims to Electrify Just About Anything
Enthusiasts seeking to preserve their classic vehicles for future generations will be able to do so with the new Ford Eluminator.
For decades, automotive enthusiasts seeking to refresh or modernize the powertrains in their project cars have been able to order crate engines that essentially provide a plug-and-play solution to an age-old problem. But now that the world is on a clear path toward electrification, the future of that hobby looks very different. Instead of swapping out an old, carbureted powerplant for a fancy fuel-injected mill, enthusiasts will be replacing gas-chugging engines with electric power, and the new Ford Eluminator crate motor will soon provide them with a compelling way to do exactly that.
Ford Performance recently teased a few sketches of the Eluminator electric crate motor, which has a name that’s clearly a clever play on the automaker’s existing 5.2-liter Aluminator V8 gas-powered crate engine. However, the Ford Eluminator is like nothing the Blue Oval has ever offered during its illustrious 118-year history.
Ford didn’t bother to provide us with any real details about its first-ever electric crate motor, instead opting to tease us with the possibilities ahead of a full reveal scheduled for the upcoming 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this coming November. However, we do know that it will go on sale sometime this fall, and there are a few other clues as to what we can expect as well.
For starters, we can see from one of the design sketches Ford provided that the Eluminator is 570 millimeters long, or around 22.5 inches, ensuring that it will work in a broad variety of applications, from vintage street rods to muscle cars to modern classics from the 1980s through the 2000s. As the world collectively aims to slash greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years, electric crate motors like the Eluminator provide us with a way to keep those vehicles alive in an environmentally friendly manner.
It’s unclear if Ford will offer a battery pack to pair with its crate motor, nor how big it will be if it does. We also don’t know what kind of power the Eluminator will make, though CarScoops is reporting that the electric motor’s output will come in at a solid 281 horsepower and 318 pound-feet of torque. Even if that isn’t enough for some, it’s worth noting that someone will inevitably figure out a way to pair multiple Eluminators together, a popular trend in the world of EVs.
Of course, Ford isn’t the first automaker to offer an electric crate motor, as General Motors revealed its own Electric Connect and Cruise package a little over a year ago. That setup consists of an electric motor that produces 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque paired with a 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and is expected to go on sale before the end of 2021.
A tease for you: An electric crate motor for your restomod or project.
We call it the Eluminator. Available this fall – watch out for more at @SEMASHOW pic.twitter.com/tl4FfskM6X
— Ford Performance (@FordPerformance) August 19, 2021
The number of electric crate motor options only figures to grow in the coming months and years, providing enthusiasts with a compelling way to breathe new life into older vehicles in a manner that will preserve them for future generations, as well as make them rather fun to drive, too. And no matter how much many of us love a good old-fashioned ICE engine, that’s certainly a preferable alternative to seeing classic vehicles wind up in the scrap yard.
Photos: Ford Performance