Ford has finally stripped the sheets off its new mid-size electric SUV, a tribute to the automaker’s best-selling Explorer. The all-electric Explorer, based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, is expected to start at less than $50,000 (€45,000).
The American automaker had a big year in 2022 after selling 61,575 EVs in the US and becoming the second-largest EV maker in the States behind Tesla.
However, Ford wants to take its success abroad with a new generation of all-electric vehicles.
Ford partnered with Volkswagen in 2020 to leverage German automaker’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) electric vehicle platform with the goal of launching two fully electric vehicles and expanding its position in Europe.
Ford’s current EV car lineup consists of the F-150 Lightning and the Mustang Mach-E, two remakes of some of the company’s most well-known brands. Now Ford is reinventing another classic.
After several months of teasing its latest mid-size SUV based on VW’s MEB platform with the hashtag “#ExploringReinvented,” Ford finally unveiled the new all-electric Ford Explorer on Tuesday.
electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)
Meet the all-electric Ford Explorer SUV
Ford took the legendary American SUV, known for its durability and practicality, and unleashed a bold reinterpretation for the modern, electric age.
The new five-seater family SUV combines American design with German cutting-edge technology to create a futuristic, stylish mid-size crossover. There’s no 7-seater on offer, at least initially, which seems like a missed opportunity.
Ford says its new electric SUV is fully equipped for family trips with an oversized moving touchscreen, around 470 liters of storage space and advanced driver-assistance technology.
electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)
The new Explorer will be the first model to be built on a large scale at Ford’s new Cologne EV facility in Germany.
Commenting on the release, Martin Sander, GM of Ford Model E Europe said:
Explorer pioneers a new generation of exciting Ford electric vehicles. Infused with our American roots but built in Cologne for our customers in Europe, it’s ready for the big adventures and packed with everything our customers need for their daily commutes.
The electric SUV will be available in two different trim levels – the Explorer and the Explorer Premium, with the base level expected to start at less than €45,000 (around US$48,500). It will also be available in variants with rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.
electric Ford Explorer (Source: Ford)
Ford says next year you can charge the vehicle from 10 to 80% in just 25 minutes, with access to 500,000 charging stations across Europe.
The new EV is part of Ford’s push into the European EV market with plans to become an all-electric brand by 2035, including nine electric vehicles in its lineup. Ford plans to sell 600,000 electric vehicles annually in Europe by 2026, and the electric Explorer will play a key role in that.
Electrek’s take
Ford’s new mid-size electric Explorer embodies both the automaker’s roots and what it aspires to be in the future with a clean aerodynamic design and modern features.
The only thing wrong with the vehicle is the market it will be launched in. Although an electric Explorer is likely to be sold in Europe, it would most likely be a huge hit in the US. Just look at the hype the Kia EV9 and EV5 are getting while people are looking for a Rivian R1S. The Explorer is already one of Ford’s best-selling cars in the States. Why wouldn’t they bring it over…or, more realistically, make one here?
What do you think? Should Ford launch the electric Explorer in the States too? Perhaps Ford will reconsider if there is enough interest.
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