Deliveries of the all-electric Ford Explorer are finally happening, following a delay that Ford announced last August. At the time, Ford said that the Volkswagen-based electric crossover needed a different battery pack that met standards set by the European Union, but CEO Jim Farley contradicted the official position by saying the delay was caused by insufficient “countermeasures around fire.” Don’t worry, though, that’s all been taken care of now, and the electric Explorer is ready to go, Autocar reports.
If you were imagining an electric version of the Explorer we get in the States or the opportunity to test drive one at your local Ford dealer, you’ll be out of luck. The Explorer EV is only for Europe, and with a total length of 175.6 inches, it’s about five inches shorter than the Volkswagen ID4 and 11 inches shorter than the Mach-E. Thanks to the updated battery that meets EU standards and should catch on fire less, the Explorer EV also offers a solid range of up to 374 miles in WLTP testing. Since European range estimates tend to be more optimistic than in the U.S., that would probably work out to about 320 miles in EPA testing, which is still solid.
Customers who want the Explorer EV’s maximum range will need to spring for the £45,875 ($57,952) single-motor extended-range version that pairs a 77-kWh battery with a 282-hp motor that powers the rear wheels. A more powerful, 335-hp, all-wheel-drive version is also available, as well as a less-expensive, less-powerful single-motor version that uses a 52 kWh battery and makes 168 hp.
Apparently, the Explorer EV is pretty fun to drive, too. At least if you ask Martin Sander, head of Ford’s European electrification division. As he told Autocar:
We are known for sporty and dynamic driving performance and behaviour [sic]. Just a couple of weeks ago, my team and I had a comprehensive test of electric vehicles where we drove the Explorer along with all its competitors. And it’s really amazing to see that this vehicle has a very distinct character. It’s comfortable because it’s a vehicle for every day, but it’s got the the driving dynamics you would expect from a Ford.
Whether that is accurate or not remains to be seen, but we’re sure that, at the very least, European customers will appreciate that Ford took the time to ensure the Explorer EV will catch on fire less while also meeting EU battery standards. Sure, it took a little longer to get their cars, but if a little delay is all it takes to avoid fiery death, we’re going to guess that tradeoff is worth it to most people.