2024 Ford Puma EV Expected With Around 400 KMs of Driving Range, €36k Starting Price

1 year, 3 months ago - 15 August 2023, autoevolution

Ford of Europe isn't doing exactly well, especially in market share and profitability. Even so, the Blue Oval intends to phase out all combustion-engined vehicles in this part of the world by the turn of the decade.

Made in Romania, the Puma subcompact crossover is vital to the Dearborn-based automaker's transition to an EV-only lineup in the European Union and the United Kingdom.

Named after the small coupe produced from 1997 through 2002, the Puma rolled out in 2019 with styling credited to a team led by Thomas Morel. The B-segment crossover indirectly replaces the Fiesta in Ford's European lineup, boasting a selection of 1.0- and 1.5-liter turbocharged engines. Exclusively front-wheel drive, the Puma will be joined by a zero-emission sibling sometime in 2024, as per the Ford Motor Company.

Auto Bild, a leading motoring publication from Germany, expects the newcomer to arrive in showrooms with a starting price of 36,000 euros. That means $39,300 dollars at current exchange rates, which may seem a bit extortionate on the face of it. Looking at the bigger picture, that's around the same as Peugeot's e-2008, also a B-segment crossover. 36,000 euros also means nearly 6,000 less than the DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, which promises 402 kilometers (250 miles) of driving range on the WLTP's combined test cycle.

The cited publication puts the WLTP combined estimate of the Puma EV at circa 400 kilometers as well, a figure that should make Ford's upcoming electric vehicle a tempting pick in this increasingly competitive segment. Production will take place alongside the Puma EV's combustion-engined versions, which top 200 metric ponies (make that 197 horsepower) for the Puma ST's 1.5-liter turbo'd three-cylinder engine.

Rather than developing a brand-new platform for this fellow, the American automaker has adapted the Global B-car vehicle architecture for this application. Said platform is further used by the Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier, small vans that can be had with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost, 1.5-liter EcoBlue four-cylinder turbo diesel, or a 136-ps (134-hp) electric drive unit.

The E-Tourneo Courier went live in May 2023, with first deliveries expected in late 2024. The five-seat MPV is capable of adding 87 kilometers (54 miles) of driving range in 10 minutes of charging at a DC fast charge. 10 to 80 percent takes under 35 minutes, whereas an overnight AC charge from 10 to 100 takes 5.7 hours.

The press release for the E-Tourneo Courier clearly states that the Puma EV will arrive by 2024, meaning that we're months away from its debut. Similar to the E-Tourneo Courier and E-Transit Courier panel van, the Puma EV is certain to receive one-pedal driving mode.

Unfortunately, Ford has yet to confirm the battery capacity and WLTP combined range of either van.