The electric Ford Explorer has finally gone on sale in Europe more than a year after its unveiling, priced from less than £40,000 and with a range of up to 374 miles.
The new SUV – based on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform – was due on sale in autumn last year. It has been launched half a year late due to the onset of a new UN battery certification, in light of which Ford chose to source a new power pack and re-engineer the car to accommodate it.
As a result, the firm's factory in Cologne, Germany – where the Explorer will be built – has been dormant since the Fiesta ended production there in July.
Martin Sander, who leads Ford's Model E electrification division in Europe, said the delay has allowed the company to further refine the Explorer and ultimately bring to market a more competitive car.
The Explorer "is a better vehicle now than we would have launched half a year ago," he told Autocar. "We've used the additional time we had to get everything nailed down, to make sure that we're delivering a perfect vehicle to our customers."
The main reason for the SUV's delayed launch was that the battery it was due to use didn't comply with new UN Regulation 100.3, concerning the certification of EV safety, so Ford decided to wait until a new nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) pack became available and re-engineer the car to accommodate it.
Read our Ford Explorer first ride here
That new battery, as well as compliance with the new regulations, also offers a significantly higher maximum range of 374 miles - well above the 311 miles that Ford was originally targeting from the longest-legged variant.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Corrected headline: sub-£40k start price OR 374 miles of range
I'm a bit confused on price - just jumped on the UK configurator and starting price is £45875. You then add stuff like paint, heat pump (needed to get half decent range in the real world) and for a basic trim 2wd car you are looking at £47275. Where is this sub-£40k car??
Car manufacturers need to have a serious word with themselves.
I'm looking forward to the electric reincarnation of the GT40, hope they don't turn it into an SUV....