2024 Ford Explorer It’s interesting that the upcoming 2024 Ford Explorer, along with its cousin, the Lincoln Aviator, will be designed as electric vehicles, and both should launch soon.
If all goes according to plan, both crossovers will follow the path of the F-150 Lightning as the next model of the Blue Oval to be launched without a petrol engine. For both crossovers, there will be a new EV architecture dedicated exclusively to the technology.
However, it looks like the Ford EV will be experiencing a bit of a lag – judging by its recent developments. It is based on a memo sent to the supplier (Ford). If everything in the memo is correct, then the new EV will go into production in December 2024. That is quite a late time!
The original production schedule for the 2024 Ford Explorer was supposed to be around mid-2023. This means that Ford will have a delay of up to 18 months.
Despite that fact, Ford won’t be using their Cuautitlan assembly plant (in Mexico) to build the two EV crossovers. However, they have not determined a new location.
It seemed logical, considering Ford was quite busy. After all, they didn’t just produce crossovers but also focused on the Mustang mach-E. Production timelines seem to affect each production.
The company may believe that the Explorer and Aviator delays have nothing to do with the Mach-E manufacturing process, but people can come to their own conclusions after an interview with Lisa Drake (COO of Ford North America) was conducted.
According to Drake, they plan to dedicate Cuautitlan’s plans to the Mach-E manufacturing process. After all, they plan to make 200,000 Mach-E units (annually) by 2023. The output is increasing, and it will start in 2022.
The Mach-E has seen a surge in demand since it was first launched. And the company is quite ambitious about it. In 2021 alone, they plan to sell 60,000 electric Mustangs globally.
No wonder the number of their production increased. They are thinking of sharing the production of the Mach-E (in Cuautitlan) with other electric vehicles, but they should focus on the Mustang alone for now.
2024 Ford Explorer Review
We all know that all-electric versions of the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator are coming, sooner or later. Both crossovers will follow in the footsteps of the F-150 Lightning as the next Blue Oval model to glide without a combustion engine under the hood.
We also know that the new EV-specific architecture will underpin the two electric-powered crossovers. However, the latest information actually indicates a delay in the appearance of the next EV from Ford.
That’s according to a memo sent to suppliers by the company, as reported by Automotive News. According to the memo, the new electric vehicle from Blue Oval will only enter the production stage in December 2024.
Automotive News reports that the schedule was originally set for mid-2023.
Apart from a delay of about 18 months, Ford will also not build the two EVs at the Cuautitlan, Mexico assembly plant. According to the memo, a new location for producing the all-electric Explorer and Lincoln Aviator has yet to be determined.
Apart from that, Ford is expected to increase the production of the increasingly popular Mustang Mach-E. While the Explorer and Aviator EV delays aren’t explicitly linked to the Mach-E’s production hike, an interview with Ford North America COO Lisa Drake seems to imply so.
Drake said that the automaker from the United States (US) plans to dedicate its Cuautitlan assembly plant to the production of the Mustang Mach-E.
Their target is to produce 200,000 units of Mustang Mach-E per year until 2023. The increase in production is said to start next year. There has been great demand for the Mustang Mach-E since its launch. This year alone, Ford is poised to sell around 60,000 units of the Mustang electric crossover globally.
The projected figure means that there is a more than threefold increase in production.
2024 Ford Explorer Report
Ford officially announced that the production of the Ford Explorer EV was postponed until 2024. The announcement of the delay didn’t come with a reason, but it’s easy to figure out.
Ford needs to double production of the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover to meet customer demand. The best way to achieve triple production is to take over another factory with Mustang Mach-Es. Especially those that produce the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator EV SUV models.
The next two electrified Ford/Lincoln models were postponed following the highly anticipated F-150 Lightning. Automotive News intercepted a memo sent to a Ford supplier announcing the delay.
The original release date for Ford’s two new electric SUVs was sometime in mid-2023. The new memo delayed production until December 2024, an 18-month gap.
Additionally, Ford announced that it will no longer be building the two electric SUV models at its Cuatitlan assembly plant in Mexico. The new location for production of the Explorer and Aviator EV is unknown.
Read next: 2024 Ford F250: The New Ford F250 Special Review
Ford Explorer Hope
So, what can we expect from the new Explorer – and the Aviator? The only thing confirmed is that both crossovers will come as electric vehicles. That is, they may use a new platform or construction that can accommodate the arrangement.
But apart from confirmation about the electric power, there are no further details about the technical and mechanical aspects. There’s still no information on the powertrain, fuel efficiency figures, design and platform, and more.
It’s not even clear if the 2024 Explorer will come as a 2024 model or a 2025 model. The best thing we can do for now is to wait for more information about the Ford Explorer 2024.
2024 Ford Explorer Release Date
The all-new Ford Mustang Mach-E is the reason you can’t own the Explorer EV until 2024. Demand for the new electric crossover is high; Ford was unable to meet the demand.
The automaker is seeking to ramp up production by taking over its Cuatitlan assembly plant in Mexico. It dedicates the factory to producing only the Mustang Mach-Ice for the foreseeable future.
Specifically, the target is to produce 200,000 units of the Mustang Mach-E annually by 2023. The increase in output for the popular new electric crossover will begin next year.
Ford will sell about 60,000 Mach-E crossovers globally this year alone. The blue Oval intends to double its production, prioritizing it over the Explorer EV.
Does the choice to triple the Mustang Mach-Es instead of an electric SUV sign the automaker is worried about the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator EVs? There’s no reason for the automaker to have little faith in its future models.
So far, the Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E have been doing very well on orders and sales. America’s favorite car brand has proven to be very successful in the electric vehicle market.
The Ford Explorer EV may be less popular due to its poor reputation. Historically, it’s no secret that the Ford Explorer has been less reliable. While the newer models have greatly corrected this problem, it still holds that weight on its shoulders.
Nameplates are everything, and the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E definitely get more out of their names than the Explorer. After all, America’s most popular pickup truck is hard to ignore.
Production of the Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer EV was delayed until 2024. Thanks to the popularity of the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover, which required triple production.
To meet the demand for crossovers, SUVs will have to sit back and wait until the time comes. At that time, we think the EV variant of this model will be almost as popular as its predecessor.
2024 Ford Explorer Price
We estimate the entry-level Ford Explorer 2024 will have a starting price of around $43,000. This is for the base Explorer with a 300-horsepower turbocharged 4 cylinder, 10-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive format.
