Ford delays production of electric Explorer until mid-2024
Ford stopped making its Fiesta to make way for the Explorer production to begin
Ford has confirmed it is pushing back production of its new electric Explorer due to new battery regulations.
The Explorer will be the first electric Ford to be made in Europe, with production due to commence this Autumn at its Cologne Electric Vehicle Centre. However, in a statement from the firm, it now says that the Explorer will ‘now be delivered to customers in the summer of 2024’.
Ford’s Cologne facility was the home of the Fiesta, with the firm specifically ending production of its well-loved supermini early in July 2023 in order to be able to produce the Explorer.
The end of the Fiesta coincided with Ford’s annual summer shutdown at the factory. Workers at the Cologne plant are reported to have been told of the decision to delay the Explorer yesterday (August 10). It’s unclear if jobs are affected.
In a statement, Ford said: “We are excited to bring the electric Explorer to our customers in Europe, the first electric passenger vehicle produced in our new Ford Cologne Electric Vehicle Center.
“Ford is embracing the incoming technical standard for electric vehicles (UN Regulation 100.3) because it is consistent with our internal philosophy to deliver safe, high-quality vehicles to customers around the globe. This means the new Explorer will now be delivered to customers in the summer of 2024.”
These UN Regulations 100.3 relate to the battery safety of electric cars, with new tests being required in order for an EV to be able to take to the road. Ford will now have to carry out further work on its Explorer, hence the delay.
The Explorer was revealed in March 2023, and is seen as a pivotal model for this brand. After the Mustang Mach-E, it is only its second electric car and is built around the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, helping to improve Ford’s productivity and reduce development costs.
