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Ford, they have to do something: Although the brand was relatively early with the long-discontinued Focus Electric, Ford currently has nothing mass-compatible in its range. That should and must change. The Explorer is the prelude to this. It can be reserved now at prices starting at around 45,000 euros. The first models are to be delivered to customers before Christmas 2023. The US manufacturer uses its own portfolio for the name of the crossover SUV. So far, the Explorer has been a classic SUV. The burner version is being phased out, which hardly anyone in Germany will notice. Ford was able to sell a total of 393 of them in this country last year – with a downward trend.
Loans from Wolfsburg
For the platform of the new Explorer uses Ford in Wolfsburg. It stands on the modular electrical construction kit (MEB) from Volkswagen. So what is typically Ford about this electric car? The question is not easy to answer after a tour of a Düsseldorf photo studio. You couldn’t drive the car yet. It looks self-confident, but not provocative, thanks to its high waistline and the closed front that rises almost vertically. With the MEB, Ford adopts a number of technical details that are unchangeable. These include the battery, the wheelbase of 2.77 m and the charging connection at the rear right. Ford product manager Christoph Heusgen emphasized during the tour: “We have tuned the chassis, dampers and steering according to our own wishes. We have widened the front track a little.”
drives and batteries
Ford offers the Explorer in three engine variants and two trim levels. With the large battery (approx. 77 kWh) and rear-wheel drive (210 kW), the range should be just over 500 km. Another variant, also with a permanently excited synchronous motor on the rear axle, has significantly less power at 125 kW and a smaller battery with around 52 kWh. The all-wheel drive version with a large battery has an engine output of 250 kW. Here an asynchronous motor is added to the front axle. This Explorer accelerates to 100 km/h in under six seconds. The top speed is 180 km/h.
(Image: Dirk Kunde)
A heat pump is available as an option, which should minimize the reduction in range in the cold season. The Explorer charges three-phase with 11 kW on the AC connection and with up to 170 kW on the DC charger. Ideally, it should take 25 minutes to charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent. Users get access to the Blue Oval charging network with 400,000 charging points in Europe. Among them are 400 DC fast chargers from Ionity.
When equipping the Explorer, customers can choose between basic and comfort. The driver’s seat offers a massage function for the lumbar vertebrae in the Nobel variant. The music system is expanded to include a soundbar on the dashboard. A panoramic glass roof and matrix LED headlights are also available as options.
Locker behind the screen
A special feature is hidden behind the 14.6-inch screen in the middle. The touch-sensitive display in portrait format can be tilted by up to 30 degrees. The screen can also be raised. Behind it there are almost two liters of storage space plus a USB-C port. This is the so-called private locker. When the cart is locked, the screen locks in its home position. Valuables in the locker cannot be seen from the outside.
(Image: Ford)
The storage space in the center console is also generous (17 litres). The compartment is deep enough to accommodate a laptop. Alternatively, three 1.5 liter and one one liter bottles can be stored upright. The dividers can be removed and used as an ice scraper in winter. Ford relies on its Sync Move system for infotainment. Alternatively, you can use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay wirelessly for media playback or navigation.
Similar in size to a Kuga
The Explorer is 4.50 m long, 1.60 m high and 2.06 m wide with mirrors. It roughly corresponds to the dimensions of a Ford Kuga and is significantly smaller than the previous Explorer. The trunk has a volume of 450 liters. If you put the split rear seat down, 1400 liters of storage space are available. There is no compartment under the front hood.
Level 2 assistants support the driver. Five cameras, three radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors are installed in the Explorer. The adaptive cruise control with spacer also helps when changing lanes as soon as you use the indicator and the sensors do not register any other road users in the blind spot. There is also an acoustic and visual warning when parking at the edge of the road if, for example, a cyclist is approaching.
Big plans for the Cologne plant
Ford is not a pioneer of electric mobility. The Ford Mustang Mach E only came onto the German market in early 2021. So far, around 9,000 of these have been approved in Germany. In further development, Ford concentrated on the pickup market in the USA with the F-150 Lightning. In Europe, Volkswagen is the supplier for an e-platform. This contract has recently been extended. Volkswagen announced that Ford will order 1.2 million units of the MEB platform over a period of six years. This fits exactly with the annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles in the new E-Werk in Cologne. Ford is investing two billion US dollars in converting its production facility on the Rhine into a so-called Electrification Center.
Goal: Sell 600,000 e-cars in Europe
The restructuring is accompanied by planned layoffs. By 2030, Ford will cut up to 2,300 jobs at the Cologne and Aachen sites. Fewer employees are needed in the development department. One can only hope that future models will continue to be designed in Europe. The restrained sales success of the Mustang Mach E shows that US design is not well received by everyone. Ford has ambitious plans for electric mobility. By 2026, the manufacturer wants to sell more than 600,000 electric cars per year in Europe. In addition to the Ford Explorer, a coupe-like crossover, Mustang Mach E and Puma, the model range also includes light commercial vehicles such as the Transit and Tourneo.
(mfz)
