Ford is advancing its EV transition and while every market is different, the company wants to be present in as many places as possible, with as many electric cars as they possibly can. If that means bringing new cars to new markets – so be it. Only yesterday we found out that the gargantuan F-150 Lightning is heading for the narrow streets of Italy and now we have the tiny all-electric Puma heading for the vast open plains of Australia.
Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, himself announced the news to bemused Australians. He took it to Twitter and assured the world that “Australian customers will love it.” We’re not sure the land of V8s, superchargers, and an unlimited supply of lager is ready for the all-electric Puma but if Jim says Puma goes – it goes.
The all-electric @Ford Puma is heading to Australia! This will be our 4th EV launching down under before the end of 2024. Australian customers will love it! ⚡️ #FordPuma https://t.co/IPesVddpAw pic.twitter.com/yW9gOT0ea1
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) April 18, 2023
While the gas-powered Puma is relatively popular in Europe, its rather tiny length of 4.2 meters puts it in the Smart #1 category. We don’t have many details yet about the all-electric version but we know it’ll share its powertrain and the battery with the just-announced Ford e-Transit Courier. That means a 134 hp electric motor coupled with the 55 kWh battery pack. We are pretty sure there are golf carts more powerful than that in Australia.
Ford has just unveiled its latest electric Explorer based on the VW MEB platform and this car would have made more sense down under. It’s larger – although nowhere near as large as the Explorers we know – and it’s bound to have a better range than the Puma. We need to remember that in Australia a simple trip to the supermarket can mean a 100-mile trip – one way.
According to AutoExpress this is the new electric Ford Puma
Let’s hope Ford knows what it’s doing and Farley’s tweet wasn’t just a typo. Yes, it’s weird with Europe getting the biggest electric Ford while Australia is getting the smallest one but who knows? Maybe there’s a method in the madness?
The all-electric Puma will be launched later this year in Europe and it will underpin Ford’s strategy to electrify this market. Together with the new Explorer and a passenger version of the new e-Transit Courier Ford will already have 3 EVs in its European portfolio. Australia on the other hand already has the Mustang Mach-E and Puma would be the second passenger EV with the blue oval on the hood.
