We’ve known for some time now that not just one, but two new all-electric Ford crossovers are in the works, both riding on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. The Blue Oval confirmed this news itself earlier this year, announcing that those two new models were among seven total new EVs that will launch in Europe by 2024 as the automaker aims to go all-electric in that region by 2030 or sooner. Earlier this month, the first – a “sport” crossover, which will be joined by a mid-size variant later on – was teased, at which time Ford Authority noted that it looked similar to the existing Ford Explorer. Now, sources familiar with the matter have told Ford Authority that this future EV may be named “Ford Explorer Sport.”
The Ford Explorer Sport nameplate is nothing new, of course, having previously adorned two-door versions of that model in its first and second generations before it was revived for the performance variant of the fifth-gen Explorer. This move would make sense for a number of reasons, starting with the fact that such a naming scheme mimics what The Blue Oval has done with the Ford Bronco and Ford Bronco Sport, with the latter representing a smaller, more economical, less capable version of the former.
With the Explorer already on sale in Europe, sticking with that long-running, somewhat iconic nameplate also aligns with Ford’s desire to focus on Icons, passion brands, and utilizing existing model names for its future vehicles. Much like the Ford Mustang Mach-E receives instant brand recognition from its pony car-derived name, the Ford Explorer Sport could enjoy the same benefit when it launches. Additionally, in Europe, the Transit name adorns multiple models as well, making up a “family” of sorts, which could also be the case with the Explorer.
For now, the forthcoming MEB-based EV crossovers will play a small role in Ford’s goal of producing 600,000 all-electric vehicles worldwide by 2024 by making up 30,000 of those total units. The sport model is slated to enter production at the newly revamped Cologne Electrification Center in Germany by the end of 2023 following its debut in March. A few months later, it will be joined by the other MEB-based EV – a medium-size crossover, and in 2024, the Ford Puma EV.
We’ll have more on Ford’s new MEB EVs soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.
Comments
I really wish Ford would make a 5-passenger AWD PHEV Explorer Sport to replace the Edge.
I think it will named Taunus EV or Taunus Mache-E
Only one problem for this – that larges European market for Ford in Europe by a country mile is the UK. It takes as many Ford’s as the rest of Europe put together – But, the Explorer isn’t sold here and is hardly known so the Explorer Sport moniker will be meaningless. If Ford wants to make an impression on its largest European market it really needs to tap its back catalogue of European names – Escort, Cortina, Capri etc. However as Ford seem hell bent on committing commercial suicide in Europe it probably wont!