Ford Claims 370 Mile Range For Electric SUV, Brings PHEV Power To Explorer & Cargo Vans
Be still my beating heart. Ford Motor Company is about to unleash an all new SUV/crossover type of vehicle that will feature more than 370 miles of range based on the WLTP protocol. Why Ford would announce the range of a car that is aimed at American customers and confuse them by quoting European testing numbers is unclear.
Suffice to say, the EPA range will be less. We can probably assume the as yet unnamed new Ford will get 10 – 15% less range when the final EPA numbers are announced, meaning somewhere around 320 miles EPA is likely. Good, but hardly Earth shattering numbers. Still, it is Ford’s first stab at a 100% production automobile, so it gets extra credit for that.
The company is putting a lot of marketing muscle into calling the car “Mustang inspired.” What that means, exactly, is anyone’s guess. The car presently has no name, no performance specs have been released, no pricing information has been announced, and no photos of the car have been released. All we know is that Ford says the electric SUV will be in showrooms before the end of 2020.
PHEV Explorer
Inside EVs has another tidbit about Ford and its electric car intentions. Ford is bringing its 7 passenger Explorer to Europe soon, and when it arrives it will feature a 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 gas engine generating 350 horsepower and an electric motor good for another 100 hp, for total of 450 hp (335 kW) and 620 pound-feet of torque.
Whether the good people of Europe have been clamoring for such a beast is unknown, but the 13 kWh battery is capable of pushing it down the road for up to 25 miles on electric power alone, which is quite an achievement for such a massive vehicle. There is no word in the report whether the same powertrain will be available in the US, but it makes sense that it would be as a similar powertrain will be available soon on the Escape.
PHEV 8 Passenger Van
7 passengers not enough for you? Try the new Ford Tourneo with room for 8. Conference seating is available is you want to have a board meeting along the way. The Tourneo has a 1 liter EcoBoost gasoline range extender engine and can drive 31 miles on electric power alone. Total range with the engine helping is more than 300 miles.
“Uniquely innovative and flexible, the new Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid can adapt to an unparalleled variety of use cases, giving owners and operators the advantage of being able to drive in ultra-low-emissions zones and still cover the same ground between battery charges as a traditionally-powered people-mover,” says Hans Schep, general manager of commercial vehicles for Ford of Europe in a press release. “Whether delivering executive shuttle services or ferrying large families, the Tourneo Custom Plug-In Hybrid will offer comfort and refinement while also contributing to improved local air quality in busy urban environments.”
Ford is very, very late to the electric car party. PHEV powertrains are hardly cutting edge technology. The company has been foot dragging on electric vehicles for more than a decade. Can it play catch up now and do it successfully? “We’ll see,” said the Zen master.
Source: cleantechnica
