Explorer is the second Ford electric model to hit the European market. The SUV is based on the Volkswagen group’s MEB architecture, but adopts its own design philosophy (the team behind the Explorer’s look included Romanian Liviu Tudoran) and elements tuned to Ford standards (for example, the suspension has been tuned for a dynamic in the style of the American brand).
The Ford Explorer in Premium RWD Extended Range with a rear axle electric motor was tested for 16 days over a distance of almost 9,000 kilometers from Bucharest to Lisbon and back. Below are full details of the actual range, actual fuel consumption, charging costs and how much time we spent at the stations.
Ford Explorer: energy consumption, actual range, charging costs
The average cost per kWh is between €0.39 – €1 and the average cost per kilometer is between €0.09 – €0.18. The costs are given as a range as they vary depending on the application used/subscription of each user.
Impressions of those who drove the Ford Explorer in EUROCHARGE by Schaeffler
Andrei Barbu (MotorVlogTV)
If you had told me a few years ago that Ford and Volkswagen were going to make a car together, I would have looked at the whole thing as a rumor that was hard to believe. But lo and behold, the electric car is disregarding tradition, and we have a Ford Explorer related by alliance to the VW ID.4.
But somehow, it feels like the Explorer retains its identity, primarily through design. Something to be appreciated. It’s an American car, at least an interesting one. On the outside. The interior is closer to the ID.4 than the exterior, and you’ll find common solutions and buttons.
Where Ford makes a separate note is in the area of the center screen and infotainment system, and to be honest, I’m still not sure which I like better. But in the Explorer, the integration seems more pleasing.
On the other hand, although we’re talking about a common platform, Ford has tightened the screws on the suspension and steering just enough to maintain a typical Ford behavior. That’s an extra dash of “sportiness” where interaction is noticeable. The car is pleasant, comfortable and balanced. Not too much, not too little, but enough that you don’t leave the test disappointed. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Alin Ionescu (Mașinistul)
After the Audi Q6 e-tron, the Ford Explorer experience was like a return to the things you really need. I mean, I don’t want to sound as if the Audi seemed for a moment unnecessary, but there were times when I felt it offered too much. That’s why it costs over 100,000 euros.
The Ford, on the other hand, is a compact SUV under €50,000 that covers all the needs of a family. It’s roomy, it’s comfortable, it rides calmly and securely on its volumes and masses, it offers a complete experience on both the multimedia and assistance systems. And with 286bhp and 545Nm from the rear axle-driven engine, the Ford moves very well, drives nicely, has an ergonomic driving position, just what you’d expect from a model wearing the blue oval.
But a keener eye will quickly identify that this Ford is actually based on VW’s MEB platform. Basically, beyond the completely changed exterior design, it’s the mechanics of the ID.4, with all its trumps when it comes to efficiency. With a 77 kWh battery capable of charging up to 135 kW, the Explorer easily covered the 450 kilometers on Day 4 of the tour. It started at 86%, charged once, at midday, and arrived at the hotel in the evening at 65%. Business as usual.
Dan Scarlat (Top Gear Romania)
The Ford Explorer is truly a combination of American design and European technology, but it’s not so much Ford Europe’s (although this is the first Ford electric model built in Europe), but one supplied by the Volkswagen Group, as the new Explorer takes over the “MEB” technical platform. The decision is based on a wider strategic agreement between Ford and Volkswagen, officially announced as early as 2020.
Fortunately, the new Explorer isn’t just “badge engineering” based on the VW ID.4. In fact, the bodywork is completely new and not even the mirrors or glass surfaces are taken from Volkswagen. And that’s a good thing, because the Explorer looks like a genuine Ford, with a front end inspired by the American electric pick-up F-150 Lightning and a rear similar to the Explorer PHEV (which is still available in Romania). Personally, I’d dare to say it has even more personality than its German “cousin”, the ID.4.
The interior is also completely different, at least in shape. The Explorer has a modern “flattened” steering wheel and a large 14.6-inch center display that’s vertically positioned and slideable, allowing both tilt-angle adjustment and access to a hidden compartment that can be very useful. However, there are many controls carried over from the ID.4 (mostly tactile), which take some getting used to, whether you come from the Ford universe or not. The interior looks good and is bright. Our setup includes a panoramic roof and a black/white color scheme. Materials are in the normal Ford sphere, a combination of different quality plastics, “Sensico” leather (in “Premium” trim) plus textile elements. To criticize would be the seats, which aren’t the most ergonomically shaped, and the limited space in the back seat for taller adults. Antifouling is average, but the car is well optimized aerodynamically – so on worse roads you’ll hear some noises from the drivetrain area, but at higher speeds the atmosphere is quiet.
The Explorer has a single engine driving the rear axle, 286 hp, which gives it the acceleration of a sports car from 10-20 years ago. The maximum 135 kW (DC) top speed is the lowest of the cars in #EUROCHARGE, but otherwise the car’s efficiency is commendable, especially for an SUV. On the fifth day of the tour, the Ford averaged 16.2 kWh/100 km on a mixed route that included highway, national roads, and mountainous serpentines, resulting in an actual range of 475.3 km. Not bad.
Gabriel Nica (Cu și despre mașini)
The Ford Explorer turned out to be the surprise of the tour for me so far. Although at first glance, according to the specs, it looks like the tail end of the pack, at every stop we came in first.
Why? Thanks to the driving, of course! All kidding aside, the Ford Explorer has an absolutely impressive load curve. Although it has a peak of just 135 KW, the ‘American’ model charges very quickly and allows you to get on your way without any hassle.
Efficiency was also above average, with fuel consumption below 20 kWh/100 km, and range was consistently good for the stretches of road we drove.
I would have liked a bit more personality though, and more ergonomically friendly solutions, but that aside, there’s little that leaves room for interpretation on Explorer.
Mihai Vasilescu (mihaivasilescu.ro)
Ever since I first saw the list of cars we’ll be driving in EUROCHARGE, I’ve wanted to drive the Ford Explorer, because I was looking for it on the street, it looks like a very nice car. 1,100 kilometers later, I can say that I got my wish in spades.
One of the things we should all do is to recognize when we’re not good at something (or when it doesn’t turn out the way we’d like it to) and ask for help from others who have proven to be better at it.
In my layman’s mind, that’s how I translate the collaboration between the two giants, Volkswagen and Ford, which resulted in the Ford Explorer model, exclusively for the European market. In short, Ford needed an electric model to meet the demands of this market, so they turned to Volkswagen for the job. The result is the Explorer, which is built on the Volkswagen ID.4 platform.
What’s the result? A compact SUV that as well as being a cool-looking car, it’s also a pretty capable electric that can do everything an ID.4 can do. It has a single engine, on the rear axle, that produces 286 horsepower, which makes it pretty svelte.
But it’s not that that impressed me the most, it’s the way he knows how to recover energy and get the most out of the 77 kWh battery. He does it as well and with as much ease as his German cousin from whom he took over the platform.
Did he also crack me up with the huge center screen that slides out and the glass roof that lets a lot of light inside? OK, it doesn’t feel like a convertible, but it’s still cool. And you really appreciate that slide-out screen when you realize that when you slide it out, there’s a storage space underneath it where you can put some of the many other crap you carry around. Phone, wallet, keys and other things you don’t usually know where to keep in your car.
The only thing that I grimaced at was the soundproofing. At times, at high speeds, I thought there was a bit too much noise in the cabin. But, to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if it’s the fault of the Explorer or the fact that I drove it on one of the days with a weather warning of thunderstorms and high winds. There were times when the wind was blowing so hard it pushed me off the road. I figure there’s no way you couldn’t hear the blizzard from the car, which is why I say maybe it’s not her fault. If I ever get to drive it on a highway again, I’ll figure it out quick.
Julius Constantinescu (Digital Storyteller)
In the few months since MAX started discontinuing movies with commercials, I’ve cursed the Ford Explorer more than I’ve cursed my Peugeot in the 20 years I’ve owned it. Sure, it’s not Ford’s fault that the streaming platform I pay a subscription to watch movies is shoving commercials down my throat, but I told you that so you’d understand why I first got into an Explorer I was expecting to dislike.
On the outside I had no comment, I already knew from the MAX advertisement that it looked good. But I was slightly disappointed to discover that the inside wasn’t bad either. The materials are quality, the underside of the dashboard is cream, a color that opens up the space and makes the interior seem even bigger, the armrests are on the same level, and the AGR-certified seats solve half of a 50-year-old guy’s problems on the long haul (unfortunately they don’t help the prostate, though it’s possible that the premium trim will solve the toilet trip). The car’s range is also good, you can get 400 km even on the highway (in Romania the highway ends faster than the range).
On the downsides, I’d first of all note the high rolling noise – it’s almost impossible to get along with the passengers in the back seat. Which could also be a plus, though, if you use it to Uber.
Bogdan Grigorescu (AutoExpert)
“Be a brother to Volkswagen until you cross the bridge”, says a Romanian proverb. Well, not exactly, but you get the idea. After years of the Fiesta attacking the Polo, the Focus the Golf, the Mondeo the Passat, and examples that can easily be extended to the SUV range, now Ford and Volkswagen are united by the same goal: to charm customers in the age of electrification. So from rivals they have become allies.
So Explorer takes the ID.4’s tech, adopts a new interior and exterior design and sets off on the adventure of a lifetime.
Robust in every respect, the American left me with a German impression that will never spoil. It’s stable in corners, firm over bumps, optionally has a pair of power-adjustable seats with massage, and comes with good all-round visibility thanks to its conventional shape.
Of course, I have complaints. The autopilot is incredibly hard to set because of the touch buttons on the steering wheel, the lack of physical buttons on the center console clutters the multimedia menu, and the soundproofing is just perfect, and that’s noticeable at high speeds.
Although it has the lowest claimed charging power (135 kW), the Explorer’s battery packs up to 117 kW decently. So you’re not flying electrons through the wires, but you’re not spending eternity at the plug either. The actual highway range at the maximum permissible speed was 354km, sufficient but not exciting.
Overall, the Explorer appeals to those who want a responsibly assembled electric SUV with good dynamics and a price that doesn’t raise the pulse, but doesn’t chase absolute superlatives.
Tiberiu Buzdugan(electromobilitate.com)
I think it’s impossible to look at the Explorer without thinking of American cars. It’s squarish, but somehow modern at the same time. Personally, I like it much more than the car with which it shares the platform, the Volkswagen ID.4.
Inside, it’s very roomy, with materials that don’t necessarily feel premium, but they don’t necessarily feel plasticy either; they certainly feel durable, befitting the car’s more rugged design. I found the vertically arranged center screen easier to use when it comes to navigation via CarPlay, with more useful maps visible at all times.
Being a platform sibling to the ID.4, unfortunately it has also taken over many shortcomings from Volkswagen, the lack of physical buttons being the biggest of them. The adaptive cruise control works very smoothly, with automatic gear changes based on road signs. But setting it from the touch buttons on the steering wheel is horrible, the most clunky and imprecise of anything I’ve driven so far. In terms of soundproofing, it’s like they didn’t get the ID.4’s right, with the Explorer noticeably louder at speeds over 60mph.
What impressed me most was the long-distance efficiency. Despite the “fridge on wheels” aerodynamics, the car manages to get very good highway fuel economy. And even though the maximum load rating is “only 135 kW”, the load curve is quite flat and it doesn’t take very long before the car is ready to go.
Radu Tudoroiu (Digital storyteller)
If you’re still driving a car 5-7-10 years, you have to like it and check all the boxes that are important to you, and the Explorer, in terms of shape and comfort, I think it’s where it needs to be. I don’t know if I don’t necessarily have the emotional training to debate all the technical aspects that make the Ford a good choice or it’s just a “I like it because it’s an emotional choice” situation, but I think the size, range and equipment that the model we tested meets many of the requirements.
Where it wins big, for me personally, is the 193 mm ground clearance. If I’m not mistaken, it’s either within legality, or a tad taller than the Q6 e-tron, making it the tallest car on the tour, where I also feel a bit more at home and don’t panic at the thought of a kerb or bumper fatally kicking out the front bumper, trim or stuff under the car. Okay, I know it’s not that common of a problem, but mentally it’s something I contemplate in parking lots.
All in all, the Ford Explorer is a great compact SUV that I quickly befriended. It seems like the kind of car ready for adventure, skiing, fishing or vacations, with a reasonable range and a pretty jovial handling, so to speak.
Technical specifications of the car that accompanied us in EUROCHARGE by Schaeffler
is a project backed by SCHAEFFLER
Charged by
OMV eMotion and Renovatio e-charge
Green Partner
Autonom
Charging stations
MOON România
On the road with
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