The Ford Explorer EV designed for the European market – which rides on Volkswagen’s MEB platform – Â is currently out on a dealer tour in the UK, but as Ford Authority reported last August, the launch of the all-new model was recently pushed back by six months. Depending on who one asks, the reason for this delay could be related to the installment of new global safety regulations, a desire to wait for a new generation of Volkswagen battery technology to arrive, or concerns regarding thermal propagation – the countermeasures around fire – according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. Regardless of the actual reason, it seems as if the Ford Explorer EV launch is now set for this summer, according to Automotive News Europe.
The Ford Explorer EV is now scheduled to launch in August, according to a Ford spokesperson, which will ultimately represent an eight-month delay for the new crossover. As the automaker’s first volume full-electric car for the European market, it’s a significant moment as well, given the fact that FoMoCo is aiming to transition its entire passenger vehicle lineup in that region to EVs by 2030 or sooner.
Full details regarding the Explorer EV have yet to be revealed, but we do know quite a bit about it, regardless. The new model will be available in two trim levels at launch – Explorer and Explorer Premium – and it will start out at around €45,000 ($48,513 USD). On the outside, the European Explorer EV features some styling cues borrowed from its ICE-powered namesake, albeit with a thoroughly modern design.
Inside the cabin, the mid-size crossover offers up two rows of seating for five with around 16.6 cubic-feet of storage space behind the rearmost row. It features a modern cabin filled with premium materials, with features such as sculpted seats and a soundbar, a center console big enough to hold a 15-inch laptop, along with wireless app integration.
We’ll have more on the Ford Explorer EV soon, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Explorer news and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comment
The Explorer EV we need here now. Too bad the deal didn’t include the U.S. market with manufacturing here. What a great sized EV. Wonder what the true distance on a charge will be?