Ford Tackles Electric SUV Market With The 2023 Ford Explorer

With Ford unveiling an all-new electric SUV, we take a deep dive into what the Explorer has to offer, also comparing it to its competitors

After the success of the Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV, Ford has revealed the all-new Explorer. This 2023 Explorer comes with two options to choose from for both battery size and choice of trims, alongside being able to get up to 335bhp from a dual-motor setup with all-wheel drive. 

The 2023 Ford Explorer has the same MEB architecture as the Volkswagen ID.4, as both VW and Ford are working together in an ongoing partnership. This has been seen in the past as both manufacturers have previously used the same platforms on vans and pick-ups, and are now trying their hand in the EV market.    

Ford benefits from this relationship massively at the moment as Volkswagen has already targeted the EV market with their ID.3, ID.4 & ID.5. VW has recently announced a brand new facelift which has improved both the interior and the exterior of the ID.3. Ford is now able to learn from Volkswagen's past mistakes, as reported through customer feedback, and is trying their best to not encounter these.

The front of the Ford Explorer is a great mixture of futuristic looks and aggressive accents. This goes against their VW partners as VW has opted for a much more friendly-faced approach through their ID range. Ford's lead designer Jordan Demkiv has gone with the 'coast to coast' panel.

The 'coast to coast' panel is the piece of trim that connects the razor-sharp-looking LED headlights. Ford says that they have reinterpreted the 'assertive and rugged appeal of the iconic Explorer SUV' through the use of a silver scuff plate running the length of the car, alongside body cladding.

Taking Ford's word for it, they have added a floating roof design, without affecting the rearward visibility. They have done this by using black A, B, and C-pillars whilst making use of a semi-transparent graphic to aid this. When it comes to individuality, Ford has their customers covered by having the choice of wheels ranging from 19-21 inches and also having a wide range of exterior paint options.

The rear echos that of the front with its square and boxy shape, and also comes with LED lights connected by that black trim that swoops along the width of the vehicle. The Explorer has trumped its fellow ford SUV, Mustang Mach-E, in the Boot capacity with a huge 450-litres, but this is still 100-litres less than its VW counterpart ID.4. The Explorer does however have a moveable boot floor, alongside its folding rear seats that can fold flat, this gives a total of 1,400-litres of Boot Capacity. 

It's the interior that sets the Explorer off compared to the ID.4, which features a 15-inch portrait touchscreen. The screen runs a unique system called Ford's SYNCMove which allows access to all the smartphone connectivity that you would need. Its position can be changed over 20 different stages which not only changes the angle of the display but also showcases its upright view to aid more complex tasks.

Ford has really upped their game in terms of Storage Capacity with what they call 'My Private Locker'. This is a storage space for the typical personal items you could find in your pockets, such as Phones, Wallets, and House Keys. As well as this, below the centre console you will find a 17-litre area between the front seats that could house multiple numbers of items, a few examples being: Laptops or Tablets, snacks for a journey, or games for passengers to play.

Now to the main event, the performance. The Ford Explorer range starts with a 168bhp rear-wheel drive model partnered with a 55kWh battery that produces a range of up to 218 miles. A slightly more powerful single-motor car would also be made available, producing 282bhp and making use of a larger 82kWh battery with a range of up to 335 miles. Ford has also made use of the knowledge gained from the relationship with VW regarding a maximum charging speed of 170kWh which is the same as VW currently offers.

At the summit of the Ford Explorer range is a car that has 335bhp being produced by dual motors, which is a whopping 40bhp more than the VW ID.4 GTX. This has the same battery and charging capabilities as the middle-of-the-range car. Charging times are 25 minutes to charge from 10-80 percent. The vehicle will also be able to tow up to a staggering 1,400kg.

'But what's the price?' i hear you ask. These are yet to be determined and will be released closer to the launch, however, is very much expected to be similar to the VW ID.4 while being lower than the Mustang Mach-E. This being said, the starting price is expected to be around £40,000 whilst the top spec is expected to be around £50,000. We should all start to see these on the road towards the end of this year. Very exciting.