EU Sales of Explorer BEV Delayed More Than Six Months

Ford confirms European sales of its battery-electric Explorer will be delayed by more than six months while it changes the battery pack specified for the CUV BEV.

The new European Explorer, developed in partnership with Volkswagen AG, and twinned technically with the Volkswagen ID.4, was scheduled to go on sale across Europe by the end of this year.

A decision to provide the Explorer with a battery conforming to the upcoming UN100.3 regulation, however, mean sales have been delayed until 2024.

“Ford is embracing the incoming technical standard for electric vehicles 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,” says Ford spokesman Ralph Caba.

UN Regulation 100.3 concerns the certification of battery safety for BEVs, and introduces a new series of conformity tests for vehicles sold in Europe. The Explorer will be subjected to these new tests to ensure it is compliant with the new regulations. 

Technical specifications of the Explorer's “new” battery, to be supplied by Volkswagen, remain under wraps for now.

Ford is not saying whether the adoption of a new-specification battery requires changes to its new CUV model. It also remains unclear if the original software package, supplied by VW, will be retained or need updating.

The Ford Explorer BEV is based on VW’s MEB electric-vehicle platform and uses the same drivetrains as the Volkswagen ID.4, as part of an electric vehicle supply deal announced by the two carmakers in 2020.

VW has not said whether the new battery standard will be deployed in the face-lifted version of the ID.4 expected to appear at the 2023 Munich motor show next month.

The ID.4 is sold with a 77kWh (usable) battery.

Ford's electric vehicle joint-venture supply deal with Volkswagen initially called for a total of 1.2 million vehicles, divided between two models. However, Ford has since indicated a desire to reduce its dependence on Volkswagen.

Ford already has converted two production lines at its Cologne, Germany factory at a cost of $2 billion (€1.83 billion) in anticipation of an original start of sales for the Explorer in September and planned deliveries by December.