Ford’s EV division posted an operating loss of $1.3 billion for the third quarter of the year, meaning it lost around $36,000 for every electric vehicle it sold during that period. Part of that massive loss is “attributable to continued investment in next-generation EVs” and we have new evidence showing the Blue Oval manufacturer is indeed working on new electric products. What you see attached in the gallery below is yet another electric crossover from the brand that is scheduled to debut sometime next year.
Just a few days ago, our spies sent us a batch of photos with an upcoming zero-emissions SUV from Ford based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. This new prototype here previews a smaller electric crossover, which will be part of the Puma’s family. For the uninitiated, the Puma is currently Ford’s entry-level product on the European market following the discontinuation of the Fiesta hatchback.
Ford announced officially the Puma EV will be launched on the Old Continent in 2024 and will be produced at the company’s plant in Craiova, Romania. This means we are probably very close to the model’s official debut and, as you can see from the photos above, this trial vehicle wears its production bits and pieces. Even though the entire exterior is covered in camouflage, we know it will look a lot like the conventional Puma variants.
The entire Puma range is getting a mid-cycle refresh and previous spy photos indicated the visual revisions will be focused mostly at the front. The electric version is expected to receive a closed-off design of the front fascia. Not much is changed at the back compared to the pre-facelift version of the Puma.
There’s no official information as to what electric powertrain will be found under the skin of the Puma EV but there are reports indicating that Ford will install the 136-horsepower electric motor of the E-Transit Courier / E-Tourneo Courier duo on the front axle of the crossover. The automaker is yet to announce the capacity of the van’s battery but it has already confirmed it will support 100-kilowatt DC charging. It is worth pointing out that Ford currently has other battery and electric motor options at its disposal, which means the Puma EV might end up with a different setup.
