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It took a little longer than planned, but Ford says the new Explorer EV for the EU market is making up for the delay. Ford of Europe has borrowed Volkswagen’s MEB platform to develop a battery electric SUV by Europeans, for Europeans. Scheduled for market launch in late 2023, the delay is due to changes in United Nations battery certification rules, or, in the words of Ford CEO Jim Farley, “fire protection”, as Ford Europe said at the time. This was caused by insufficient measures. . In any case, engineers reworked the chassis to fit a different nickel-manganese-cobalt pack. An executive at a local automaker said of the just-released Explorer EV, “It’s a better car now than it was released six months ago.”
In launch spec, buyers will have two trim options available. Dubbed Extended Range, the single-motor rear driver is powered by the 77 kWh battery known from the Volkswagen ID.4, giving him 282 horsepower and 402 pound-feet of torque and an estimated range of 374 miles on the WLTP cycle. This allows him to reach 102 mph in 6.4 seconds and charge up to 135 kW.
Before the battery swap, Ford was projecting a maximum range of 311 miles for the entire Explorer EV lineup. The longer legs help add substance to his marketing tagline in Europe, “Adventure Spirit,” a step above the “Urban Escape” tagline applied to Puma’s compact four-door hatchback. .
Dual-motor, extended-range, AWD versions are available in one trim with a 77 kWh pack and another that upgrades the pack from VW’s hotter ID to a 79 kWh unit. GTX trim. Motor power increases to 335 hp and 402 lb-ft with the larger battery. The dash to 62 mph drops to 5.3 seconds, range drops to 329 miles, charging speed rises to 185 kW, and it can tow 1,200 kilograms (2,600 pounds). Under ideal conditions, Ford says the battery can recover from 10% to 80% in 26 minutes.
These single-motor variants come in Select or Premium trim. The AWD version is called Premium regardless of battery size.
To keep costs down and ease customer choice, the Explorer EV configurator only offers a few substantive options. The Select comes with a Driver Assistance Pack that bundles a heads-up display, 360-degree camera, lane change assist, hands-free tailgate, and heat pump. The Premium trim adds the option of a panoramic roof and 21-inch wheels in some markets. And the only free color is white.
This Explorer EV doesn’t come here. If so, you’ll find that it’s much closer to the Volkswagen ID.4’s footprint than the Explorer’s. At 175.9 inches long, 73.7 inches wide, and 64.2 inches tall, the Explorer EV is 4.6 inches shorter than the ID.4, nearly an inch wider, and has a roof nearly half an inch lower. Both vehicles ride on the same 108.9-inch wheelbase.
A third, entry-level version will begin shipping to dealers in early summer. This is a standard range setup with a 52kWh battery on the rear axle driving a 168hp motor, limited to 125kW charging. Prices in Germany for his 2024 Ford Explorer EV, built in Cologne, start at 48,510 euros ($52,381) including VAT.
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