Update: ‘Design’ section updated.
In March 2022, Ford announced new details about its electrification strategy for Europe and, as part of that, confirmed the launch of a Ford Puma Electric. The Ford Puma EV will be the Blue Oval’s smallest electric SUV worldwide.
Here’s everything we know about the future Ford electric car.
Line-up confirmation
Following the Ford Mustang Mach-E in 2021, the Ford E-Transit arrived in Europe in 2022. Beyond that, Ford has lined up seven new electric vehicle launches, the company said in an announcement on March 14, 2022. It plans to release all seven new EVs in Europe by 2024.
Three of the seven future Ford EVs are passenger models, and the rest are commercial vehicles. The first passenger EV is a Euro-focused all-electric Ford Explorer, the technical cousin of the VW ID.4, scheduled to enter production at Ford’s Cologne plant (Germany) in Summer 2024 (via Reuters). A “sport crossover,” also built in Cologne (a derivative of the VW ID.5?) and rumored to revive the iconic name ‘Ford Capri,’ will follow in 2024. We’ve talked about the Puma Electric’s launch timeline in a ‘Release date’ section at the end of the story.
Design
The design of the current Puma, which debuted in 2019, is set to undergo updates before being adapted for the EV variant. Along with the March 2022 announcement, the company released a teaser of the Puma Electric and other six new EVs for Europe.
As you see below, the pattern of the daytime running lights of the Puma Electric is different from the car that’s currently on sale. This was the initial indicator that the EV would have a new look. To provide a glimpse of how the Puma Electric might look, we’ve created a rendering that incorporates cues taken from the teaser.
In July 2023, the first spy shots of the facelifted Puma (gasoline model) popped up online, indicating Ford’s preparing a cosmetic refresh for its small crossover. The spy shots indicate that Ford plans to relocate its logo at the front of the Puma to the radiator grille with the facelift. On the Puma Electric, expect the placement of the Blue Oval’s badge to be similar to the Mustang Mach-E, on the top part of a closed surface. The bumpers and wheels of the Puma Electric will also likely be different from the current Puma.
Ford has started testing the Puma Electric on public roads in Europe. A camouflaged test mule seen wearing UK plates has suggested that it wouldn’t differ much from the gas-powered Puma. The headlamps appear to have graphics similar to what Ford showed in the teaser in March 2022 and the area in the nose section where the donor model has a large grille to have been covered with a smooth surface for improved aerodynamics.
Specifications
The Blue Oval hasn’t revealed the specifications of the Ford Puma Electric, but it has confirmed a 500 km (311 miles) range for the larger (medium-sized) EV that will debut on March 21, 2023. The company could target a WLTP range of 450 km (280 miles) for the Puma EV, which will compete with the likes of the Peugeot e-2008, Opel Mokka-e, and the Jeep Avenger EV.
The Ford Puma Electric will sit on a modified version of the current SUV’s B2E platform. Ford has already announced an EV based on the B2E – the E-Transit Courier. According to a report Autocar released on November 13, 2023, the Puma Electric will have the same powertrain as the E-Transit Courier.
The E-Transit Courier uses a 100 kW (134 hp) motor and features one-pedal driving. Ford hasn’t disclosed the energy storage capacity of its battery pack, but that figure’s expected to be 50-55 kWh. The company has confirmed a peak charging input of 100 kW, and at that rate, charging from 10 to 80% SoC takes less than 35 minutes.
LFP or NMC Battery?
The Ford Puma EV could use battery packs consisting of LFP cells. In July 2022, Ford confirmed that it plans to use CATL-made LFP battery packs with cell-to-pack technology in the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. In May 2023, the company launched a 72 kWh LFP battery pack in the Mustang Mach-E in the U.S. Later in 2023, Europe will get the Mustang Mach-E with the low-cost option. The electric pickup truck will gain an LFP battery pack in early 2024.
We’ve been working on LFP for quite some time, so let’s just leave it at that. What I mean by that is, engineering LFP solutions in our first generation of products something that we see is a big opportunity and to move quickly.
Jim Farley, President and CEO, Ford (Q1 2022 earnings conference call on April 27, 2022)
The iron-based cells are cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting than the more commonly used NMC cells. In our experience, while the weight or range would not be class-leading, it probably wouldn’t be a deal-breaker to customers, given the SUV’s urban-focused design. Ford President and CEO Jim Farley has said that the company is developing LFP cells and sees them as “a big opportunity.” The more affordable technology will allow it to popularize its EVs in the market swiftly.
| Aspect | Ford Puma Electric Specification (Expected) |
| Length | 4.2 m (165.4 in.) |
| Width | 1.8 m (70.9 in.) |
| Height | 1.5 m (59.1 in.) |
| Wheelbase | 2.6 m (102.4 in.) |
| Boot Space (folded rear) | 1,216 L (42.9 cu. ft.) |
| Drivetrain Layout | FWD |
| No. of Motor(s) | One |
| Power | 100-150 kW (134-201 hp) |
| Torque | 300 Nm (221 lb.-ft.) |
| Battery | 50-55 kWh |
| WLTP Range | 450 km (280 mi) |
| Charging (10-80% SoC DC) | Under 35 min |
SYNC 4A
The Ford Puma Electric is expected to feature Ford SYNC 4A, its latest, cloud-based infotainment system. Already available in the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Ford Expedition, Ford Edge, and Ford F-150 Lightning in the U.S., it is an upgraded version of Ford SYNC 4. It differs from the old in-car communication and entertainment system with a couple of features.
Unlike SYNC 4, SYNC 4A has interactive individual digital cards called ‘Adaptive Dash Cards’ instead of traditional menus. Users can scroll through and interact with a personally tailored collection of digital cards based on frequency or recentness of use. Cloud connectivity gives the new system more advanced route planning for enhanced navigation and a more human-like voice recognition system that can have conversations with the user. Lastly, the updated system has twice the power and processing speed.
Addressing the drawbacks of the Puma
Since the Puma EV is a conversion electric vehicle, some of the common complaints of the car may not be possible to fix. The limited rear visibility, for instance, may not get any better in the electric model, and the smaller boot (compared to its European rivals) would also see no improvement until the car switches over to a bespoke EV platform that provides a higher space efficiency. Although the ride is expected to remain relatively firm, can engineers exploit the battery pack layout in order to further enhance already impressive handling?
Ford Puma Electric production
The production of the Ford Puma Electric will take place alongside the Ford E-Transit Courer in Craiova, Romania, from 2024. The market launch of the pure-electric variant of the company’s best-selling passenger vehicle in Europe should take place in the second half of that year.
Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Turkey’s Koc Holding, owned the Craiova plant. On the day it confirmed the Ford Puma Electric, the Blue Oval announced that Ford Otosan is the sole owner of the Craiova plant and manufacturing business. Ford is transferring the Romanian plant to the Turkish owner for an amount of EUR 575 million (USD 631 million).
Ford plans to manufacture the batteries for upcoming EVs in Europe to price them affordably. The company intends to form a tripartite joint venture company with SK On Co. Ltd. and Koc Holding to establish an EV battery production plant in Turkey. Located near Ankara, the joint venture plant will produce high-Nickel NMC cells from as early as mid-decade. The annual capacity of the factory is likely pegged at 30-45 GWh.
Release date
When Ford announced the Puma Electric in March 2022, it said that customers will be able to buy it in 2024. The Puma Electric will be available even in markets outside Europe, although the U.S. won’t be among those countries.
On April 18, 2023, NZ Autocar reported that the Puma Electric has been confirmed for New Zealand. The same day, CarExpert released a report saying Ford plans to offer it in Australia as well. Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford of Australia and New Zealand, has said that the Puma Electric will be among the five electrified vehicles the company plans to bring Down Under by 2024.
In an interview with Auto Zeitung, published in the German magazine’s issue dated March 15, 2023, Dr. Christian Weingärtner, revealed that the Ford Puma Electric is on course for its debut and launch in 2024. Dr. Weingärtner is the Managing Director for Ford Germany, Austria, and Switzerland and the Managing Director of Marketing and Sales at Ford-Werke GmbH. The Puma Electric will stand out in its class, just like the Mustang Mach-E today, he added.
Ford’s EV goals
Ford expects to sell more than 600,000 EVs annually in Europe in 2026 and to manufacture 1.2 million EVs at the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre over a six-year timeframe. It will convert the Cologne factory into an EV plant with a USD 2 billion investment and begin producing passenger EVs at the transformed facility in late 2023.
Ford’s long-term goal in Europe is to switch entirely to EVs by 2030. Globally, the company aims to increase its annual electric vehicle production to more than 2 million EVs—about one-third of its volume—by 2026 and convert half of its volume to EVs by 2030.
TopElectricSUV says
The Puma will become Ford’s new entry-level offering in Europe, once the Fiesta and EcoSport are both discontinued. Here, the Puma will become the last Ford model in the region’s B-segment. However, the confirmation of its electric variant provides assurance that it has a future and quite a solid one, in fact, in the Blue Oval line-up.
The Puma EV should be a small electric SUV suitable for urban customers (private and business) with low running costs. While it may not be the glitziest launch of 2024, it could be one of the most efficient electric SUVs in its segment, and a release of significance as personal mobility in Europe transitions to EVs.
Ford Puma electric FAQs
What is the Ford Puma electric release date?
The pure-electric Ford Puma is slated to arrive in the European market in 2024.
What is the Ford Puma electric price?
The Ford Puma electric price may range between EUR 35,000-40,000.
Featured image: Ford
I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.
