Ford Explorer EV races into segment poised for big gains

Ford has applied its storied Explorer nameplate to its new electric compact SUV for Europe, the company has announced.

Ford unveiled the new car in a digital event ahead of deliveries, which are set to start early next year.

The Ford Explorer name was chosen "as a nod to our American heritage and the spirit of adventure that the name Explorer is very much synonymous with," a spokesman told Automotive News Europe.

The European Ford Explorer, however, is very different from its U.S. counterpart. The European version is 4470 mm long and is based on Volkswagen Group's electric MEB electric platform. The U.S. Explorer meanwhile is categorized as a large SUV at 5049 mm long. It is powered by combustion engines up to 3.3 liters in size.

Ford currently offers a plug-in hybrid version of the U.S.-made Explorer in Europe, but sales will end this summer, the automaker said.

The European Explorer will be built at Ford's plant in Cologne, Germany, replacing the Fiesta small car.

A second version of the Explorer, expected to be named the Explorer Sport, will follow in the same plant.

Ford will build 1.2 million of the two models over a period of six years, the company has said.

Ford said the new model will start at less than 45,000 euros ($48,200) when it goes on sale, without giving a precise figure or revealing the markets where that price will apply.

The new EV will compete against VW Group models on the same platform such as the VW ID4 and forthcoming Cupra Tavascan, as well models such as the Nissan Ariya and Toyota bZ4X.

High-growth potential

The Explorer EV's smaller size, however, classes it as compact, potentially giving it an edge when most electric models from volume automakers are midsize.

Very few compact electric SUVs are currently sold in Europe, with the top-seller after two months being the Mazda MX-30 at 1,403 units followed by the MG Marvel R at 1,177 units.

Europe's nascent compact electric SUV niche grew 182 percent to 3,769 units during the first two months, according to figures from market researcher Dataforce.

Meanwhile, overall demand for compact SUVs is stronger than ever in Europe. The segment passed small cars after two months to become the region's second-largest vehicle class. Sales of compact SUV were up 25 percent to 257,131 through February, according to Dataforce, while small car sales rose 11 percent to 253,474.

Top-of-the-line models first

The first Explorer EVs available will be high-specification Select and Premium models, depending on market. Ford has said the standard equipment in these models will include heated front seats with massage function, hands-free tailgate opening, a heated steering wheel and keyless entry. Lane change assist will also be part of the SUV's driver assistance package.

One way that the interior of the SUV will differ from VW Group MEB models such as the VW ID4 is that it will have a portrait-aspect central touchscreen rather than one with a landscape perspective. The 14.9-inch screen also slides upward to reveal a hidden compartment to store phones and other valuables while parked, Ford said.

No battery size or range has been announced, but charging is fast enough to top up the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 25 minutes, the company said. The speed suggests the same 170-kilowatt charging system as on the VW ID4.

Battery sizes are expected conform to VW Group's offering for its MEB cars, starting with a 52-kilowatt-hour version, rising to 77 kWh for the more expensive models. Range is expected to reach more than 480 km (300 miles) on the WLTP cycle.

The Explorer will be offered with three different powertrains: 168-hp rear-wheel drive; 282-hp rear-wheel drive; and 335-hp all-wheel drive, Ford said.

Assertive and rugged

The design of the car is a "reinterpretation of the assertive and rugged appeal" of the U.S. Explorer aimed to appeal more to European tastes while also improving aerodynamics, Ford said in a statement.

Ford has said it will highlight its U.S. roots much more in the design and marketing of its cars in Europe as it shifts to electric ahead of axing combustion-engine cars altogether in 2030.

"The Explorer is a trailblazer for a new breed of exciting Ford electric vehicles," Martin Sander, head of Ford's Model e electric division in Europe said in the statement.

Ford's partnership with Volkswagen on electric cars is expected to end with the production of the two Explorer models as it develops its own platform suitable for the European market.

The two companies also work together on commercial vehicles, with VW Group CEO Oliver Blume saying last week their partnership was "intensifying."