The subcompact Puma Gen-E, a new electric car in Europe, is based on Ford’s best-selling gas-powered crossover. The Puma Gen-E provides an electric range of 234 miles, with its pricing anticipated to fall within the mid-$30,000 range. The electric Puma features a roomy interior and a generous trunk, leveraging the packaging advantages of its electric powertrain; however, it is not anticipated to be available for sale in the United States. Ford’s strategy for marketing electric cars is based on well-known names. The controversial choice to call the Mach-E hybrid the Mustang was the first thing that happened. After that came the F-150 Lightning truck, which used the most popular brand in the US. Ford also made the Explorer electric vehicle and brought the famous Capri name back to Europe. Ford has released the Puma Gen-E for the European market. It is based on the gas-powered Puma subcompact SUV, which is the brand’s best-selling car on the continent right now. Ford made the electric version look like its original gas-powered car, with the same bubbly shape and bug-eyed headlamps and kept the name of its best-selling car. But to keep with the look of the Mustang Mach-E, the triangular grille has been swapped out for a black trim piece in the shape of an upside-down U. The Gen-E has special wheels and a rear spoiler that make it more fuel-efficient. Ford wants to keep the prices of its electric cars as low as possible, and the Puma Gen-E is the base model. And the Gen-E can do this with just a 43.0-kWh battery pack and a range of up to 234 miles. Even though this is low by American norms, it should be fine in Europe, where most people have much shorter commutes. Ford’s Puma Gen-E should be a good choice for a local runabout, especially since it can go 325 miles in the city on a single charge. Ford also states that the Puma Gen-E can charge from 10% to 80% in just 23 minutes when connected to a fast charger. While the Puma Gen-E’s 166 horsepower prioritizes efficiency, it offers a steady and composed acceleration, reaching 62 miles per hour in 8.0 seconds. The electric Puma’s useful cabin more than makes up for its slow speed. The trunk of the gas-powered Puma has 20.3 cubic feet of room, but the trunk of the electric Puma has 20.3 cubic feet. There is also a 1.5-cubic-foot trunk, and because there is no standard transmission, the center console has been moved around to make more room for storage. The cabin, which has a large steering wheel, a 12.0-inch central touchscreen, and a 12.8-inch digital gauge cluster, is essentially similar to its gas-powered counterpart. The Puma Gen-E features Ford’s most recent infotainment system, Sync 4. It has cloud-connected mapping and wireless phone mirroring. People who are drivers can also use the built-in voice assistant Alexa to run the system. Some other technology highlights are the ability to charge your phone wirelessly and the availability of adaptive cruise control that can center itself in its lane and stop and go. Ford will also build in a 360-degree surround-view camera and directed headlights that follow the curve of the road ahead. Prices should start around $30,000. Deliveries will begin in Europe in the spring of 2025. Even though the Puma Gen-E won’t be sold in the US, we hope Ford can make future EVs with the same level of cost and usefulness.
