Ford has electrified another classic Blue Oval badge. This time it’s the Explorer, which has been reinvented as a battery-powered SUV for Europe where it will share showroom space with the Mustang Mach-e.
If it seems odd that Ford now has two similarly-sized, five-seat, electric SUVs for the European market, what’s even stranger is that they’re entirely unrelated. Instead of spinning the Explorer from the Mach-E platform, Ford created its newest SUV by pairing with Volkswagen. Underneath that square-jawed exterior there’s an VW ID.4’s MEB platform.
Not that your average European driver would guess even if the two drove by in convoy, or if he had the chance to poke about inside both SUVs. Ford avoids the ID.4’s curves for a much tougher, squarer look that better fits with the Explorer name. There are subtle styling references to the North American Explorer, which Europe (but not the UK) receives as a PHEV, including the C-pillar treatment and the design of the rear lights.
Squint a bit and you might even see echoes in the front end, though obviously being an EV, the baby Explorer gets a smooth nose with no grille. But tug open the door to climb behind the wheel and you’ll notice that the Explorer EV appears to owe more to the Mach-E than it does to either the ICE Explorer or ID.4.
Related: Ford Gets $630M In New Incentives For $3.5B Michigan Battery Plant
There’s the obligatory freestanding digital instrument cluster beyond a chunky, vaguely square steering wheel, but the real focus of the interior is the huge 14.6-inch portrait touchscreen. But that’s about where the similarity with the Mach-E’s cabin ends because the Explorer’s touchscreen is housed within the main dashboard, rather than floating in front of it. The screen is also canted backward, and can even be moved to account for drivers of different heights, and there’s a secure space behind it for storing valuables.
There’s also no physical rotary controller poking through the bottom of the screen as there is in the electric Mustang, and the broad center console (which offers enough stowage space for a 15-inch laptop) looks more like something you’d find in a traditional combustion-powered SUV rather than the open-plan design you get in many EVs, including the VW ID.4.
Under the skin, of course, the Explorer shares plenty with the ID.4. Ford’s press info was disappointingly light on technical detail, and didn’t outline which of the VW powertrain and battery options the Explorer would take, but Auto Express says the Explorer range will start with a 168 hp (170 PS) model powered by a single motor and 52 kWh battery that gives 218 miles (351 km) of range, but can only charge at 130 kW.
Other options include a 228 hp (231 PS) single motor mated to a 77 kWh battery that charges at 170 kW and can take the Explorer 335 miles (539 km), while the fastest model is a dual-motor AWD version rated at 335 hp (340 PS) with a range of 305 miles (491 km).
The Explorer also brings new technology to the brand’s European lineup, including Assisted Lane Change and also Clear Exit Assist, which provides warnings about approaching cyclists when parked. Other gadgets fitted as standard include a driver’s massage seat, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, and a hands-free power tailgate.
Though there’s plenty we still don’t know about the Explorer, including how much it will cost when orders open later this year, it looks like a really strong proposition, and far more desirable to our mind than the mechanically similar Volkswagen ID.4. And this isn’t the end of Ford’s EV assault on the European market. The Explorer will also be followed by a sportier EV again based on the VW MEB platform, and an even smaller Puma EV built from Ford’s own EV platform.
What do you think of the Explorer EV? Would you take this over an ID.4? And if you’re in North America, do you wish Ford would offer the Explorer to U.S. drivers? Leave a comment and let us know.
