A postponement due to new global security rules
As reported by the Cologne-based media Kölnische Rundschau, Ford informed the German factory team on Thursday morning. According to this source, Ford justifies the postponement by new global safety rules applying to the powertrain of these cars which will soon come into force. Note that the car manufacturer has decided to launch vehicles worldwide according to this new standard. However, the media does not specify which “global security rules” it will be.
Artistic vagueness as to the incriminated rules
For the record, some additional assistance systems will be mandatory for all new cars from 2024 in the EU. For newly approved vehicles, this obligation has already been applied since July 6, 2022, it will also be from 2024 for vehicles with an older type approval. However, this does not affect the powertrain.
The Explorer available only in summer 2024
According to the Kölnische Rundschau, the electric Explorer will therefore only be available for purchase by customers “next summer” (2024). Until now, only non-binding reservations were possible.
As a reminder, production of the Ford Explorer EV, presented in March 2023, was to begin now after the factory holidays at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center, which Ford opened in June 2023, and then slowly ramp up, for a start sales in early 2024.
Few details on the technical data
As a reminder, the Explorer is not based on a technology platform from Ford, but on the MEB from Volkswagen.
When the model premiered, however, Ford did not provide technical data on the drive system, the exact output of rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive as well as the size of the batteries.
VW offers an 82 kWh gross/77 kWh net battery for vehicles of this size. Rear-wheel drive produces 150 kW, and for the all-wheel-drive option with an additional ASM on the front axle, VW offers two versions with system output of 195 and 220 kW respectively.
At the moment, it is unclear exactly which individual components Ford obtained from Volkswagen and how the Cologne SUV model differs from other models built from the MEB platform.
At the premiere, Ford said the Explorer’s battery charge could go from 10 to 80 percent in just 25 minutes. At VW, the factory specification has so far been 29 minutes.
Our opinion, by leblogauto.com
As a reminder, the new Ford Explorer EV is a 100% electric crossover. It is the technical cousin of the VW ID.4, even if it is somewhat difficult to distinguish the relationship.
In France the Ford Explorer EV will exist in two versions: Explorer and Explorer Premium. In dimensions, the Explorer EV is 4.46m long and 1.87m wide. The trunk volume is 450 liters and can reach 1,400 liters in total.
Source: rundschau-online.de (in German)
