- Ford has revealed a new EV model for Europe called the Explorer.
- This compact SUV will be built in Germany and based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform.
- There’s also an Explorer EV slated for the US, but it might be a lot bigger than this one.
Ford has promised that an electric version of the familiar Explorer three-row SUV is coming to the US soon, but this isn’t that car. On the other hand, this Ford Explorer is a new smaller electric crossover built in Germany specifically for the European market. It uses Volkswagen’s MEB platform as part of a partnership between Ford and VW and will go on sale later this year.
Ford didn’t provide exact dimensions for this Explorer EV, but to us it looks like a compact SUV in the shape of the Escape or Bronco Sport we’ve found in the US. It has a grilleless face that looks modern, rather low. -slung but still boxy, and interesting details include slatted design elements on the C-pillars and chunky wheel patterns. Inside, it has a large 14.6-inch vertical touchscreen and digital gauge cluster, as well as a spacious center console and lockable compartment behind the screen. It’s a two-row setup with five seats, and Ford claims 17 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats.
We also don’t know the powertrain specs on the Explorer, but we think it will have the same size battery pack as the Volkswagen ID.4, which offers 58.0-kWh and 77.0-kWh battery packs. Ford says it will offer both rear- and all-wheel drive versions, so we’re guessing output will range from under 200 hp for the base version to over 300 hp for the top model.
Ford will manufacture the Explorer in Cologne, Germany, and it is scheduled only for Europe at this point. Prices start at the equivalent of $48,000 and Ford is taking orders now. We doubt we’ll see this model come to the US, but it could give us a glimpse of what the Blue Oval’s electric SUV could look like in the future. Ford’s second, larger MEB-based electric crossover will arrive in Europe next year, and we’ve previously speculated that it could end up in the US
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Senior Editor
Despite growing up on a steady diet of Honda and Toyota base models—or maybe because of it—Joey Capparella cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been a part of Car and Driver team since 2016 and currently resides in New York City.