Ford has introduced its latest mid-size electric SUV as a tribute to its highly popular Explorer which was especially common in the US police fleet. The Explorer is the first of two VW MEB-based electric SUVs designed for Europe, and it is anticipated to have a starting price of under $50,000 (€45,000).
In 2020, Ford partnered with Volkswagen to use the latter’s MEB electric vehicle platform, with plans to release two fully electric vehicles to boost its position in Europe. The new five-seater family SUV combines American design with high-quality German engineering, resulting in a sleek, futuristic mid-size crossover. Ford was quick to point out that the Explorer was ideal for family road trips due to the spacious 470 liters of storage and advanced driver assistance technology.
The vehicle’s cabin features a sizable 15-inch vertical screen that can be moved out of the way to reveal concealed storage behind it. Both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are supported too. In terms of audio, there’s a sound system with large windshield-facing speakers, similar to sound bars we are used to seeing in home theatre setups.
According to Ford, the vehicle can be charged from 10% to 80% in just 25 minutes and will have access to 500,000 charging stations throughout Europe next year. The electric SUV will come in two different trims, Explorer and Explorer Premium, with a starting price of under €45,000 (approximately $48,500) and will be available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive versions. Finally, the new Explorer will be the first model manufactured at scale at Ford’s new Cologne EV facility in Germany.