Famous Ford badges set for reinvention on EVs
FORD has shown it’s not scared of taking an iconic name like Mustang and putting it on to the back of an all-electric SUV. It’ll soon do the same with Puma and, while it’s not as much of a departure, Explorer too. The latter car is the result of a partnership between Ford and Volkswagen; VW can use commercial-vehicle platforms like the new Ranger’s, and Ford gains access to VW’s all-electric MEB platform – which underpins the Explorer EV.
Since its unveiling back in March, however, production of the Explorer has run into a brick wall due to incoming UN regulations over battery safety. Customers can expect their new cars to reach them by summer 2024, by which time we hope to have racked up plenty of time behind the wheel – although in a roundabout way we already have, because the Explorer is a sibling of the Volkswagen ID.4, a car we’re well acquainted with at Auto Express.
Unlike the ID.4 line-up, which kicks off with a 146bhp electric motor, the Explorer range will start with a 168bhp motor mounted on the rear axle powered by a 52kWh battery for up to 218 miles of range. A more282bhp motor with a 77kWh battery will sit above this and offer 335 miles of range, with the flagship model boasting 335bhp from a four-wheel-drive dual-motor set up – although this cuts the range to 305 miles. The EV game moves quickly, however, so while those numbers sound promising today, rivals like the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Skoda Enyaq will all remain competitive.
