Sander said that figure is “outstanding in this segment” and a testament to how Ford has used the extra half a year of development time “very, very effectively to keep working on the vehicle and making the vehicle better”.
That headline range figure is achieved by the single-motor Extended Range car, priced from £45,875 and fitted with a 77kWh battery – matching the capacity of the Volkswagen ID 4 and Skoda Enyaq with which it shares its MEB architecture and rear-mounted 282bhp ‘AP550’ motor.
The twin-motor four-wheel-drive Explorer, which uses the 335bhp powertrain from Volkswagen’s GTX-badged sporting EVs, uses a slightly larger 79kWh battery (which has just been made available on the Volkswagen ID 3 and Cupra Born) to crack 329 miles.
Maximum charging speeds are put at 135kW and 185kW respectively – the latter giving a theoretical 10-80% top-up time of just 26 minutes.
Ford puts the rear-driven Explorer’s 0-62mph time at 6.4sec and the more potent 4WD variant’s at just 5.3sec – quicker, it highlights, than a Ford Focus ST.
The range-topper can also tow loads of up to 1200kg.
A lower-powered Standard Range car, with a 168bhp rear motor, a smaller 52kWh battery and a maximum charging speed of 125kW, will be added to the line-up in due course, taking the price down to £39,875.
Sander said that while the Explorer touts range and on-paper performance figures that stand it in good stead against rivals, it’s just as important that the EV adheres to Ford’s trademark dynamic values, and this was a priority during development.
“We are known for sporty and dynamic driving performance and behaviour,” he said. “Just a couple of weeks ago, my team and I had a comprehensive test of electric vehicles where we drove the Explorer along with all its competitors. And it’s really amazing to see that this vehicle has a very distinct character. It’s comfortable because it’s a vehicle for every day, but it’s got the the driving dynamics you would expect from a Ford.”