Ford is gearing to manufacture the Puma EV in 2024 to compete with the Peugeot e-2008 and the upcoming Mini Aceman. The electric vehicle will share its platform and powertrain with the all-new Ford E-Transit Courier van.
Ford is working on only one battery for the smallest electric Transit. It will give a 10 – 80% top-up in less than 35 minutes and can add 85km of range in 10 minutes. The carmaker said if the Puma EV uses the same 100kW motor as its van sibling, it should near enough match the e-2008’s 9.0sec 0-100 km/h.
Martin Sander, Ford of Europe boss who was keen to position the Puma as the utility version of the Fiesta, said it will remain on sale for many years following the introduction of the EV version, suggesting a 2029 end-of-sale date. Puma’s electrification is Ford’s latest step in its electrification strategy. It involves an investment of $22 billion through 2025.
It should be noted that Ford has already electrified several of its important vehicles, including the Mustang, F-150 and Transit, and most recently, the new Ford Explorer. Ford said the Puma was the company’s best-selling car for the past two years, dethroning the soon-to-retire Fiesta, which recorded a drop in sales when heavily impacted by the pandemic-driven semiconductor shortages and factory closures.
