The Electric Explorer’s Nightmare Launch Shows Everything Ford Gets Right and Wrong About EVs

I asked Ford Europe design director Amko Leinert why Ford used VW’s damping control in both the Explorer and Capri, and he told me that Ford had worked with a partner to give the sliders better response (but wouldn’t tell me how), then admitted. That “we tried to improve it a little bit—and I think we did—but at the same time, it is what it is. VW is our supplier in certain parts, and we had to make that choice at the time.”

It’s a shame, because these decisions, made on the balance sheet and in the meeting room, can kill perfectly fine cars. And it’s complicated in the case of the Explorer because it’s a good EV, quiet on the road, and has a good range and a distinctive, winning exterior.

Courtesy of Ford

I found project delays meant the Explorer and Capri missed their window of opportunity, and potentially better competing options landed at just the wrong time for Ford—but by focusing on the range above all else and trying to cut corners on development time, the gamble didn’t quite pay off. And then trying to charge around £54,000 (about $68,500) for the top-of-the-range model, things get tougher.

Jim Farley is a smart man, and I’m sure he looked at the Explorer and the Capri, and then went back to his Xiaomi, and realized that Ford had a better way to deal with EVs than rigging rivals’ platforms. But then there’s the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate, which is required until at least 2025 A quarter of new cars Sold by UK manufacturers are emission-free. Ford needs to sell more EVs and faster. It is a solid circle squared.

I know Ford’s focus is on hybrids right now, but looking at the success of the F-150 Lightning and Mach-E and all the elements celebrated in the EU-only Explorer, hopefully we’ll see a lot more full-EV action from the company in 2025. Just make it Ford-made and accessible to everyone—then it definitely can’t beat it.