‘Postponement due to new safety regulations’
Remember the story of the Ford Explorer EV coming to Europe? It will come, but later than planned. German media report that the introduction of the electric SUV based on Volkswagen has been postponed by about half a year.
Based on reports from the German newspaper Kölnische Rundschau, Electrive’s EV enthusiasts report that the market introduction of the electric Ford Explorer EV has been postponed by six months. Initially, production of the electric SUV would start about now, but that will happen at a later date.
According to the German newspaper, Ford has decided to postpone the introduction of the Explorer EV due to new “international safety regulations” regarding powertrains. For the time being, it is not clear which regulations are involved exactly. The electric Ford Explorer EV should now not be on the market in the first quarter of 2024, but in the summer of that year.
The Dutch importer has confirmed the news to AutoWeek. According to Ford Netherlands, Ford will build the Explorer ‘with a different type of battery’ that meets the safety requirements according to the new UN Regulation 100.3 standard which all new cars to be homologated will soon have to comply with.
Ford Explorer EV
Ford’s new electric SUV should not be confused with the larger SUV that has been called the Explorer for years. The Ford Explorer EV is a smaller EV developed mainly for the European market that uses the MEB platform of the Volkswagen Group. It is the first of a pair of electric Fords on that platform. The Explorer EV will be slightly shorter than 4.5 meters and will be available as a 170 hp or 286 hp rear-wheel drive and as a 340 hp four-wheel drive.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl