FORD EXPLORER EV GOES ON SALE IN EUROPE WITH UP TO 374 MILES OF WLTP RANGE
The MEB-based crossover is cheaper than a Mustang Mach-E. Oh, and it was also driven around the world.
The all-new, all-electric Ford Explorer can now be bought in Europe with prices starting from around €47,000. And yes, we know there’s also a completely different and much more expensive combustion-powered Ford Explorer for sale in Europe and the United States, but that’s just how Ford rolls, we guess.
Based on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture, the battery-powered crossover is roughly the same size as an ID.4 and about €5,000 cheaper than the Mustang Mach-E, although the Mach-E is 8.5 inches longer than the electric Explorer. Ford's European-bound electric crossover is also the first EV to drive around the world with Instagram travel guru Lexie Alford (@lexielimitless) at the wheel.
That’s a pretty impressive feat for a car that should have been put on sale last year but a new European standard for electric vehicles postponed the market launch by about six months. The record-setting drive began and ended in the French coastal town of Nice, with the battery-powered Explorer passing through 27 countries and covering over 30,000 kilometers (18,641 miles).
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European customers can choose between two powertrain options. There’s an extended-range rear-wheel drive Explorer that comes with a 77-kilowatt-hour (usable) battery pack and a single electric motor that makes 210 kilowatts (281 horsepower). This version has a maximum WLTP-rated range of 374 miles (62 km) and can draw up to 135 kW from a compatible DC fast charger.
The second powertrain option has a 79-kWh battery and a dual-motor drivetrain that’s capable of 250 kW (335 hp), while the maximum DC charging speed is 185 kW. The maximum WLTP range for the AWD version is 351 miles (566 km).
Both versions have an on-board AC charger that can accept up to 11 kW and Ford says that the Explorer EV will be available with a single-motor RWD trim that’s powered by a standard-range battery in the future, although the battery capacity wasn’t disclosed.
The Explorer EV starts at €49,500 in Germany, €51,765 in Spain, and €46,900 in France. It comes as standard with a heated steering wheel and front seats, massaging driver’s seat, wireless phone charging, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. The two-row crossover can tow up to 2,654 pounds and has approximately 16.5 cubic feet of storage space inside.
Production will be handled by Ford's EV manufacturing hub in Cologne, Germany, where the Fiesta subcompact hatchback used to be made.