I asked Amko Leenart, director of design for Ford Europe, about why Ford used VW’s woeful controls in both the Explorer and the Capri, and he told me Ford worked with a partner to better the response on the sliders (but wouldn’t tell me how), then admitted that “we tried to improve it a bit—and I think we did—but at the same time, it is what it is. VW is our supplier on certain parts, and at the time we had to make that choice.”
It’s such a shame, because these decisions, made on balance sheets and in meeting rooms, can kill perfectly fine cars. And in the case of the Explorer this is compounded because its a good EV, is quiet on the road, and has a good range and a distinctive, winning exterior.
I get the delays to the project means that the Explorer and Capri missed their window of opportunity and that potentially better competitor options landed just at the wrong time for Ford—but by focusing on range above all else, and by trying to cut corners in development time, the gamble didn’t quite pay off. And then trying to get away with charging nearly £54,000 (about $68,500) for the top-of-the-range model, things get even more difficult.
Jim Farley is a smart man, and I’m sure he has looked at the Explorer and Capri, and then back at his Xiaomi, and realized there’s a better way for Ford to tackle EVs than by dressing up rivals’ platforms. But then there’s the UK’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, which requires that in 2025 at least a quarter of new cars sold by UK manufacturers are emissions-free. Ford needs to sell more EVs and quick. This is a hard circle to square.
I know the focus at Ford is on hybrids right now, but looking at the successes of the F-150 Lightning and the Mach-E, and all the elements to be celebrated in the EU-only Explorer, am hoping we’ll see a lot more full-EV action from the company in 2025. Just make it Ford-made, and accessible to all—then surely it can’t lose.
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