Ford Explorer EV Circumnavigates Globe, Proving Electric Driving’s Versatility
EV driving was the punchline of many jokes in the early days of electric vehicles. Several years ago, only the Nissan Leaf garnered any real EV respect, at least until Tesla came along with the Model S. Today, EV provide decent driving range and are capable of crossing tough terrain. To prove that a Ford Explorer EV recently circumnavigated the world; showing EVs can do just about anything traditional cars can accomplish.
A young driver took the Ford Explorer EV around the globe
Lexie Alford is breaking glass ceilings all over the place. She was the youngest person to visit every country on earth at only 21-years-old, and now took the Explorer EV around the world. The journey covered more than 18,641 miles.
Alford chose Nice, France as the finish line. Its where Aloha Wanderwell began her journey around the planet in the 1920s. Wanderwell made the trip in a Ford Model T. Alford’s journey marks another impressive Ford milestone.
How did Alford find charging for the EV in every country?
We might complain about the distance between public fast charging stations and know that our charging network in America isn’t ready to support more EVs, but Some global regions don’t offer any fast charging locations. This mean Alford had to wait the time it takes for the Ford Explorer EV to top-off at 2.2-kW of charging speed until she could make it to a faster charging station.
The journey around the globe in this EV took Lexie Alford six months. During that time, she make the Explorer EV home and pushed it to its limits. Some of those limits had to do with the terrain, other limits with the charging and driving range.
This new Ford EV is on sale in the UK
Not long after Alford completed her journey, Ford put the Explorer EV on sale in the UK. This SUV comes with RWD and AWD models, which also means either single or dual-motor versions. The Explorer EV is available with either a standard range or extended range battery. It takes 26 minutes to charge the battery pack to 80% using a DC fast charger.
The current driving range offered is 374 on the WLTP rating system, which is much more aggressive than the EPA system. The dual-motor version produces 330 horsepower while the single-motor model delivers 278 horsepower for the drive. Both models offer 402 lb-ft of torque, giving this electric Explorer plenty of low-end grunt for towing and off-road driving.
When will we see the Ford Explorer EV?
Ford pushed production of the American version of this electric SUV back a few months. Its expected to begin production before the end of the year and could launch in America sometime in the early part of 2025.
Source: TopGear
