The 2025 Ford Explorer is a compact, all-electric SUV. (Photo: © Ford)
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Electromobility for trades and SMEs - Special Topics
January 2025
The Explorer is an iconic model. Ford has revived it as an all-electric SUV. Exploring with the Ford Explorer.
This year marks 35 years since Ford first unveiled the Explorer in the USA . Three years later, the iconic off-roader celebrated its European premiere with enhanced features . Last year saw a facelift of the now sixth generation – but not in Europe. Here, a fully electric version is set to launch , which is likely to raise eyebrows among those who remember the old model.
The electric Explorer measures just 4,46 meters in length, is built by Ford in Cologne , and the brand has invested around two billion euros in converting the plants. Despite all the difficult news surrounding the restructuring of Ford Europe, including job cuts, the Explorer only launched in the last quarter of 2024, accompanied by high expectations. The model is intended to drive the transformation into an electric brand in Germany and become the new bread-and-butter car for the Cologne plant , after the old flagship models were gradually phased out of the lineup.
For fans of the old SUV behemoth, the shrinking process is likely painful , just as it is for brand enthusiasts to know that the technology under the sheet metal comes from Wolfsburg. The 2025 Explorer is based on VW's Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB). But the technology is hidden; the exterior boasts a distinctive design , and you'd need a good deal of imagination to identify it as a VW.
You feel comfortable behind the steering wheel, which is more angular than round, and have good all-around visibility with plenty of headroom and legroom . There's also ample space for rear passengers. Your gaze sweeps across the cockpit of the compact SUV, which could easily have used more buttons. A huge display dominates the center console , making the instrument cluster's display seem rather small in comparison. Everything has a robust look, continuing the theme suggested by the exterior design.
We're starting with the premium version of the Explorer , which means it has all-wheel drive , a large battery pack, and 250 kW/340 hp under the hood . It takes just over five seconds for the compact SUV to reach 100 km/h and accelerate all the way to 180 km/h before the electronic limiter kicks in to optimize energy consumption. Ford states this at 16,1 kWh/100km, while the smaller engines consume 14,3 kWh/100km for the rear-wheel-drive version with 210 kW/286 hp, and 16,3 kWh/100km for the smallest engine with 125 kW/170 hp.
This model comes standard with a 52 kWh battery , providing a range of 378 kilometers. Those opting for the larger 77 kWh battery (79 kWh for the all-wheel-drive version) can achieve a range of up to 602 kilometers, depending on the configuration (medium motor, rear-wheel drive). The all-wheel-drive variant offers a range of up to 532 kilometers. Maximum charging power is 145 kW (small battery) or 185 kW (large battery).
The car handles well on the road, proves surprisingly agile thanks to its compact dimensions, and is genuinely fun to drive on asphalt . In any case, an electric car with the top-of-the-line motor offers plenty of enjoyment thanks to its constant torque, even for a quick trip to the supermarket for the weekly shopping. The trunk holds 532 liters, and with the rear seats folded down, this expands to a generous 1.460 liters.
Conclusion: The Explorer is a successful electric SUV that only suffers from its name, which could raise false expectations.
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