Table of Contents
2025 Ford Explorer EV: What We Know So Far – Ford announced on Wednesday that it is working on building two dedicated electric vehicle platforms, one of which will be used for full-size pickup trucks and SUVs and the other will be used for cars and smaller SUVs. Both platforms are expected to make their debut by the year 2025.
Overview
The majority of the automaker’s initial batch of electric vehicles aimed at the mass market are built on platforms that are either modified versions of the company’s internal combustion engine vehicles or platforms leased from other manufacturers. Ford revealed on Wednesday that its next generation of electric vehicle platforms will include an electric Explorer, and the automaker is also exploring the idea of producing an electric Bronco.
A car that is expected to be released in 2023 and is based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform is a crucial first step toward that, for example. This is part of Ford’s $1 billion drive toward electric vehicles in Europe by the year 2030. It now anticipates spending a total of $30 billion on electrification projects between now and 2025.
The development of dedicated electric vehicle platforms will assist Ford in becoming more competitive with General Motors, Volkswagen, and Hyundai/Kia, all of whom have made the development of such platforms the focal point of their respective EV initiatives.
One of the platforms that Ford will use will be a mid-size platform that will accommodate a broad variety of rear- and all-wheel-drive vehicles including pickups and crossovers. The second platform will be a bigger platform that will be intended for the next generation of full-size trucks and SUVs.
In addition to this—between now and the 2026 model year, when these models are anticipated to arrive—Ford has potential variants built off the platform of the Mustang Mach-E, which was designed with some flexibility and is still expected to spawn a Lincoln EV. These variants could arrive anytime between now and the 2026 model year.
Last week, Ford unveiled the F-150 Lightning, a pivotal model in the automaker’s strategy to electrify its most recognizable vehicles. According to the source, the Lightning is built on the same platform as versions of the internal combustion F-150, but its successor, which is expected to be released in 2025, will employ a specialized platform that is dubbed TE1. According to the report, that platform has the potential to potentially be utilized for the production of electric versions of the Ford Expedition and the Lincoln Navigator SUVs.
The timelines are up well with Ford’s previously stated intentions to begin production of five electric vehicles at a facility in Canada beginning in the year 2025. Therefore, it’s possible that this is a hint as to the models that will be included.
Review
Ford has revealed that it intends to employ CATL’s lithium iron phosphate batteries with cell-to-pack technology in the North American versions of the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. To further reduce the cost of the Explorer EV, the manufacturer may also choose to employ LFP batteries in some versions of the vehicle. In comparison to lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide batteries, iron-based batteries are not only more durable but also more affordable and safer. However, they do not have the same capabilities in terms of range and weight, which may be problematic for larger vehicles with three rows of seating, such as the 2025 Ford Explorer EV.
On the heels of Ford’s revelation that it will produce an electric version of the Explorer, the Ford North America Product Communications Manager, Mike Levine, confirmed the news through Twitter. “Yes, we will totally electrify Explorer, as you would assume, given our ambition to deliver 40% of our line-up as fully electric cars by 2030,” Levine stated. “Our strategy calls for us to deliver 40% of our line-up as fully electric vehicles.”
Ford anticipates that one-third of the full-size truck sector will be entirely electric by the year 2030 in the United States alone, which would represent more than 800,000 cars on an annual basis. According to the White House, by the year 2030, it will have captured 70 percent of the market for all-electric full-size buses and vans, which would amount to more than 300,000 vehicles yearly. “I’m thrilled to report that in addition to delivering a scalable dedicated BEV architecture, we’ll also be optimizing it for our next-generation full-size pickup trucks and utilities,” Thai-Tang said. “This is exciting news.”
The exterior of the electric version of the Explorer would get particular attention from Ford in order to make it more aerodynamically efficient than the gas-powered version of the Explorer. The aerodynamics of a vehicle has a direct influence on its energy consumption, and a huge SUV is going to need as much assistance as it can get to compensate for its size and weight.
Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford, revealed on April 26, 2022, to Laycee Schmidtke, host of the YouTube channel Miss GoElectric, that the firm plans to manufacture a unique variant of the F-Series electric pickup at the planned Blue Oval City factory in Tennessee. He said that this model will have active as well as deployable aero. After further investigation, a Ford official clarified to Motor1 that what Farley was referring to was “a next-gen electric truck, separate from the F-150 Lightning.” It would be beneficial for the corporation to incorporate some of the aerodynamic aspects of this electric truck into Explorer Electric and the bigger Lincoln electric SUVs.
An example of active aerodynamics is a front grille that may be locked in the closed position while the vehicle is stopped or when there is a need to reduce drag when the vehicle is being driven. They are able to open up in the event that the front brakes, electric motors, and battery pack need cooling.
It is anticipated that bi-directional charging will become standard on electric vehicles around the time that Ford will introduce the Explorer EV. Customers are given the ability to power their houses for up to ten days using energy that is stored in their electric vehicle’s battery pack by virtue of a function that is available on the Ford F-150 Lightning called Intelligent Backup Power. In the instance of the F-150 Lightning, consumers have the ability to discharge 9.6 kW of electricity; however, the figure for the Explorer EV can be different. Sunrun is Ford’s go-to installation partner when it comes to its Intelligent Backup Power system.
Vehicle-to-vehicle charging should be an additional bidirectional power transfer option that should be implemented. This would make it possible for Explorer EV customers to assist other EV users in the event of a power outage or a depletion of charging capacity in a distant area. There is also the advantage of being able to use power tools, electronics, and appliances anywhere, such as on a camping trip or at a job site in the middle of nowhere, by pulling electricity from the battery of the Explorer EV.
It is quite probable that the Explorer EV will have a plethora of connected and intelligent capabilities, which Ford will be able to enhance in the future via Ford Power-Up software upgrades that are sent over the air. The vast majority of updates may be finished in a matter of a few minutes at most.
It is possible that Ford may provide the Explorer EV with a mega power frunk, which is a specialized storage area located in the front where conventional internal combustion engines (ICE) are generally housed. Customers have the option of making use of this room to store more baggage, a chiller box, and golf clubs, in addition to having access to many built-in electrical outlets for powering their work, entertainment, or other equipment.
According to a report that was published in Automotive News on August 28, 2022, Ford has shown a teaser of Explorer Electric to dealers. These dealers have stated, based on early video renderings, that the future model will have a large touchscreen infotainment system that is comparable to the 15.5-inch portrait unit that is found in the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning. This infotainment system, which is probably the SYNC 4A unit, ought to include wireless connectivity with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a speech assistant from Amazon called Alexa, and Ford Power-Up over-the-air software upgrades.
The Product and Its Cost
According to a rumor from Automotive News, the Ford Explorer Electric will be on sale sometime in the early years of 2025. Prices should begin at around 50,000 United States Dollars, which, in conjunction with the vehicle’s manufacture in Canada, would qualify it for the Clean Vehicle Credit.