By Otsile Kadiege

Ford today revealed the latest member of its electric vehicle line-up – the all-electric Puma Gen-E – bringing zero emission driving to Ford’s best-selling car in Europe for the first time.

Electric powertrain

Powering the Puma Gen-E is an electric motor mounted to the front axle. It develops 123.5kW and 290Nm. Ford hasn’t shared details of the Gen-E Puma’s battery pack but the automaker claims the electric Puma has a range of 376 km on a full charge and up to 523 km of city range. Ford also claims that the when connected to a fast charger, a 10-80 per cent charge takes approximately 23 minutes, while acceleration of zero to 100 km/h is achieved in 8.0 seconds.

Unique exterior styling

Outside, the EV Puma sets itself apart with a few model-specific styling updates. These include a bold “shield” design which replaces the conventional grille, giving a fresh face and taking inspiration from the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV, optional Dynamic Matrix LED headlight technology, a sporty rear spoiler and unique aerodynamically optimized 18-inch alloy wheel designs.

Modern cabin

Inside, the new Puma Gen-E gets a crisp and modern design first seen on the facelifted Puma. Highlights include a flat top and bottom style multifunctional steering wheel with an integrated E-Shifter to select gears, a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.0-inch centre display running on Ford’s SYNC 4 infotainment system which supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, and a B&O Premium Sound System for the range-topping derivative

Advanced driver assistance systems

As standard, the Puma Gen-E is equipped with the following driver assistance systems: Speed Sign Recognition, Wrong Way Alert, and a Rear View Camera. The top-spec grade gets Dynamic Matrix LED headlights with Glare-Free High Beam, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Lane Centring, Predictive Speed Assist and a 60-degree surround-view camera system.

Availability

The Ford Puma will be built at Ford Otosan’s state of the art assembly plant in Craiova, Romania, using electric drive units built at Ford’s facility in Halewood, UK. After recently canning plans of launching the electric Mustang Mach-E in Mzansi, we doubt Ford South Africa will show interest in launching the EV Puma on local soil.