Ford expects to begin building the electric Explorer in June, second EV by the end of 2024
Ford is gearing up to build the first electric Explorer models this summer. The first Ford Explorer EVs are now expected to reach customers in August. Ford also expects to begin production of its second EV by the end of 2024.
After delaying the launch of its all-electric Explorer, Ford wants to begin production in June. That’s about eight months later than expected.
Ford unveiled the electric version of its best-selling SUV in Europe last March. The electric SUV is the first EV spawned from a partnership with Volkswagen in 2020 to use its MEB platform. Ford says the electric Explorer “combines German engineering with striking American style.”
The Explorer will be the first EV built at Ford’s upgraded Cologne factory. Ford invested about $2 billion to upgrade the facility to build electric vehicles.
Despite the hype, Ford delayed the start of production by about eight months. Cologne-based media Kölnische Rundschau first reported the news last summer.
Ford said production would begin at the end of 2023, with sales opening in early 2024. However, the automaker pushed it back due to a new battery standard.
Ford plans electric Explorer, second EV production
After a delay of over half a year, Ford wants to begin building the Explorer EV in June, according to German newspaper Automobilwoche.
A company spokesperson confirmed that the first deliveries are now scheduled for August in Cologne Tuesday.
Series production of Ford’s second EV based on VW’s platform is planned by the end of 2024. Fords European headquarters is in Cologne, where it develops and produces vehicles.
The electric Ford Explorer is a “road-trip ready” mid-size SUV. It includes a massive movable touchscreen, 470 liters of storage, and Ford’s advanced driver assist.
It will be available in Europe in two trims – the Explorer and Explorer Premium. The base trim is expected to start under $50,000 (€45,000).
The new EVs are part of Ford’s plan to go all-electric in Europe by 2035. Ford’s lineup will include nine EVs. The electric Explorer is expected to play a big role in Ford’s goal to sell 600,000 EVs annually in Europe by 2026.
Electrek’s Take
Ford delaying EV production in Europe will likely set it further behind. The automaker is already pushing back around $12 billion in EV spending in the US.
Although it’s only eight months, this is a critical time for automakers to transition their supply chains and prepare for an electric future. More importantly, rivals are launching new models at a record pace.
By the time the electric Explorer begins rolling out, rivals like Tesla, VW, and Chinese automakers like BYD will have already ramped up output.
The electric Explorer, at $50,000 (€45,000) may not seem like a great deal compared to competitors in another six months.
BYD already announced it was slashing prices on its electric SUV, the Atto 3, by up to 15% in Germany. Will Ford be able to compete?
For those in the US, Ford confirmed it will launch an electric three-row SUV. The SUV is designed for road trips with a spaceous interior and up to 350 miles range. Ford already ruled out an electric Expedition, suggesting this will be the Explorer EV we’ve been waiting for.
Ford said the electric SUV will be affordable, but didn’t give specifics on pricing. The automaker is also launching its next-gen electric pickup in the US, called the T3 project. Ford’s CEO Jim Farley described it as being “like the Millennium Falcon – with a back porch attached.” Perhaps like Tesla’s Cybertruck?
We’ll have to wait and see with Ford’s next-gen EV platform due out in 2025. Stay tuned for the latest on Ford’s transition to EVs.
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Tesla has wiped off the 26,000 miles on the odometer of a Cybertruck in service, scratched the vehicle, and then returned it to the owner like nothing happened.
A Tesla Cybertruck owner in Oregon was quite surprised when he went to pick up his Cybertruck, which was in service to install a new lightbar, fix some panel gaps, and figure out an ABS alert that wouldn’t go away.
According to a thread on the Cybertruck Owners Club, Tesla had wiped the odometer clean on the Foundation Series ‘Cyberbeast’, which had over 26,000 miles on it.
The owner shared a video of the Cybertruck’s odometer going from 0 to 1 mile for the second time:
The odometer on the vehicle was wiped and both the app and service many also showed the same mileage.
The owner shared a screenshot of the app after 15 miles:
He went to the online forum for advice:
Anyone else have their odometer Thanos-snapped after a controller swap? Can Tesla unsnap it or am I forever “True Mileage Unknown”?
Interestingly, Tesla is currently being sued for allegedly messing with the odometers of its vehicles. However, the lawsuit is for accelerating the mileage, not reducing it, like in this case.
It was not the only surprise from this service visit for this Cybertruck owner.
The owner was not satisfied with the lightbar installation, which he claims has a half-inch gap on the passenger side while it is flush on the driver side. He wrote:
It’s basically smiling sideways at everyone.
It’s also unclear why Tesla was messing with the vehicle’s tailgate, but it ended up having a bolt moving around it, causing scratches and Tesla left a bolt unbolted:
At this point, the truck was returned with more problems than it had when it entered service.
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Nissan is on the brink of collapsing. After the Honda deal fell through, it looks like another Japanese automaker is tossing it a lifeline. As Nissan struggles to stay afloat, Toyota is emerging as a potential “backer” in a new tie-up.
Are Toyota and Nissan partnering?
“If we don’t take action now, the situation will only get worse,” Nissan’s President, Ivan Espinosa, said during a press conference on May 13.
Facing falling sales, ballooning debt, and slumping profits, Nissan introduced a new recovery plan last week, “Re:Nissan.” The struggling automaker aims to cut costs by 250 billion yen to return to profitability by FY 2026.
As part of its efforts to turn the business around, Nissan will cut 20,000 jobs by FY2027. It’s also abandoning plans to build a new EV battery facility in Japan. Seven other plants will be closed, including one in Thailand and two in Japan.
After its planned EV merger with Honda fell through in February, rumours surfaced that Nissan was scrambling to find another partner.
According to a new report from Japan’s MainiChi, a Toyota executive recently reached out to Nissan about a potential partnership. The tie-up could involve Toyota acting as Nissan’s “backer” to support it while it restructures.
Nissan and Toyota both unveiled a wave of new electric vehicles set to roll out over the next few years. The upgraded Nissan LEAF EV will arrive in the US and Canada later this year with more range, an NACS port, and a new crossover style. It will be one of ten new Nissan or Infiniti models to arrive by 2027.
In Europe, Nissan will launch the next-gen LEAF later this year, followed by the new Micra EV and Qashqai electric crossover. In 2026, the new Nissan Juke EV will join the lineup.
Meanwhile, Toyota’s upgraded bZ electric SUV (formerly the “bZ4X”) will arrive at US dealerships in the second half of 2025.
In 2026, the smaller C-HR electric SUV and rugged bZ Woodland EV will follow. By the end of the year, Europe will see three new Toyota electric SUVs: the C-HR+, Urban Cruiser, and upgraded bZ4X.
Electrek’s Take
Toyota already has a stake in several Japanese automakers, including Subaru (20%), Mazda (5.1%), Suzuki (4.6%), and Isuzu (5.9%), so backing Nissan wouldn’t come as a shock.
Espinosa said Nissan was open to new partnerships. Nissan’s chief said the company will continue collaborating with others, including Mitsubishi, which will use the upcoming LEAF as the basis for its new EV for North America.
Japanese carmakers have been notoriously slow in shifting to all-electric vehicles, which is now costing them in key overseas markets like Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and others.
Chinese EV leaders, like BYD, are quickly expanding overseas to drive growth this year. Next year, it will launch its first kei car (see the first spy shots), or mini EV, which is already being called “a huge threat” to Japan.
Pooling resources and teaming up may be the best (or only) option at this point. Can Toyota help Nissan turn things around? Or will it be too little, too late? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Check back soon for details. This is a developing story. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.
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