After encountering delays, the Ford Explorer is finally here. Ford celebrates the introduction to the market at the end of the Explorer’s World Tour. The Explorer was driven around the globe over 30,000 km, crossing six continents and 27 countries, with adventurer Lexie Alford at the wheel.
The electric Ford Explorer will start at €48,950 in Belgium. It benefits from the latest upgrade to its shared VW MEB platform, a 77-kWh battery, and a new 286-hp electric motor. The range is up to 602 km.
Marketing stunt
On Tuesday, Adventurer Lexie Alford arrived back in Nice (France), completing her world tour. In partnership with Ford, she embarked on a long journey, crossing six continents, driving through 27 countries, and covering more than 30,000 km.
Therefore, the American adventurer became the first to circumnavigate the globe in an electric car. This is an impressive marketing stunt from Ford, as the team encountered charging difficulties in Africa, in the Atacama desert of Chile, to name but a few.
With the compliments of VW’s engineering department
Ford uses this impressive World Tour ending to finally bring the new electric Explorer to market, thus revealing specifications and prices. Compared to when it was unveiled over a year ago, the Explorer has changed. The design remains the same; however, the underpinnings benefit from a significant evolution.
In the span of a year, Volkswagen brought a major update to its MEB electric platform with the launch of the ID.7, a larger battery in the ID. Buzz/ID.7 Tourer and a new, more powerful but more economical electric motor. That upgrade has percolated to other MEB platform products, from Skoda to Audi. Sitting on the same underpinning, the Ford Explorer benefits from it.
602 km of range
Under the skin, the American built in Europe is currently available in Extended Range form, with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel-drive. The number of wheels driven isn’t the only difference.
The Explorer Extended Range RWD uses a 77-kWh battery to power a 286-hp rear-mounted electric motor. This gives it an estimated range of up to 602 km – the homologated WLTP range will follow. The AWD version uses a larger 79-kWh battery and two electric motors.
It gets 340 hp and a max estimated range of 566 km. Fast charging is also different, as the first battery maxes out at 135 kW while the second reaches 185 kW peak power. Ford announced that a Standard Range RWD model would be available later.
From €48,950
In addition to the specifications, Ford also takes the opportunity to pinpoint the number of storage spaces on the inside – up to 20 liters, including a 17-liter MegaConsole. However, the trunk space is relatively small at 450 liters.
More importantly, Ford revealed that the new Explorer is available on the market right now. The entry-level version, named Explorer, starts at €48,950 in Belgium. The all-wheel-drive variant bumps that entry price up to €60,950. All in all, this makes it slightly more expensive than the Volkswagen ID.4 with similar specs…
Comments
Ready to join the conversation?
You must be an active subscriber to leave a comment.
Subscribe Today