Here’s the latest on the small electric SUV

Update: All sections updated.

In March 2022, Ford announced new details about its electrification strategy for Europe and, as part of that, confirmed the launch of a Ford Puma Electric. Called ‘Ford Puma Gen-E,’ this model will be the Blue Oval’s smallest electric SUV worldwide.

Here’s everything we know about the future Ford electric car.

Design

Along with the March 2022 announcement, the company released a teaser of the Puma Gen-E and other six new EVs for Europe. As seen below, the pattern of the daytime running lights of the Puma Gen-E is similar to the Puma facelift which was introduced earlier this year. To provide a glimpse of how the Puma Gen-E might look, we’ve created a rendering that incorporates cues taken from the teaser of the conversion-type BEV.

Ford has started testing the Puma Gen-E on public roads in Europe. A camouflaged test mule seen wearing UK plates has suggested that it wouldn’t differ much from the gas-powered 2024 Puma. The headlamps appear to have graphics similar to what Ford showed in the teaser in March 2022 and the area in the nose section where the donor model has a large grille to have been covered with a smooth surface for improved aerodynamics.

On the Puma Gen-E, expect the Blue Oval’s badge to be placed similarly to the Mustang Mach-E, on the top part of a closed surface. The bumpers and wheels of the Puma EV will also likely be different from the current Puma.

Interior

It’s not hard to ascertain what the interior of the all-electric Puma would look like. Given that it’s a conversion-type electric vehicle, expect the same overall design and features as the 2024 Puma.

Expect a customizable 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.0-inch center touchscreen for access to maps, infotainment, and climate control. The SYNC 4 system, with enhanced computing power, will offer wireless integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside voice recognition and built-in Alexa for hands-free operation.

Comfort features like the sliding armrest and sporty, flat-bottomed steering wheel will likely remain, along with advanced driving aids such as Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control and a 360-degree surround-view camera.

Will it get SYNC 4A?

The Ford Puma Gen-E could also feature Ford SYNC 4A, the Blue Oval’s latest, cloud-based infotainment system. The upgraded version of SYNC 4 features several improvements over the previous in-car communication and entertainment system.

Unlike SYNC 4, which is available on the gasoline-powered Puma, SYNC 4A has interactive individual digital cards called ‘Adaptive Dash Cards’ instead of traditional menus. Users can scroll through and interact with a personally tailored collection of digital cards based on frequency or recentness of use. Cloud connectivity gives the new system more advanced route planning for enhanced navigation and a more human-like voice recognition system that can have conversations with the user. Lastly, the updated system has twice the power and processing speed.

Specifications

The Blue Oval hasn’t revealed the specifications of the Ford Puma Gen-E. The company could target a WLTP range of 450 km (280 miles) for the Puma EV, which will compete with the likes of the Peugeot E-2008, Opel Mokka-e, VW ID.2 SUV, and the Jeep Avenger EV.

The Ford Puma Gen-E will sit on a modified version of the SUV’s B2E platform. Ford has already released an EV based on the B2E – the E-Transit Courier. A report Autocar released on November 13, 2023, claimed that the Puma Gen-E will have the same powertrain as the E-Transit Courier.

The E-Transit Courier uses a 100 kW (134 hp) motor and features one-pedal driving. Ford hasn’t disclosed the energy storage capacity of its battery pack, but that figure’s expected to be 50-55 kWh. The company has confirmed a peak charging input of 100 kW, and at that rate, charging from 10 to 80% SoC takes less than 35 minutes.

Addressing the drawbacks of the Puma

Since the Puma EV is a conversion electric vehicle, some of the common complaints of the car may not be possible to fix. The limited rear visibility, for instance, may not get any better in the electric model, and the smaller boot (compared to its European rivals) would also see no improvement until the car switches over to a bespoke EV platform that provides a higher space efficiency. Although the ride is expected to remain relatively firm, can engineers exploit the battery pack layout in order to further enhance already impressive handling?

Manufacturing

The production of the Ford Puma Gen-E will take place alongside the Ford E-Transit Courier in Craiova, Romania. Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Turkey’s Koc Holding, owned the Craiova plant. On the day it confirmed the Ford Puma Gen-E, the Blue Oval announced that Ford Otosan is the sole owner of the Craiova plant and manufacturing business. Ford is transferring the Romanian plant to the Turkish owner for an amount of EUR 575 million (USD 640 million).

Ford plans to manufacture the batteries for upcoming EVs in Europe to price them affordably. The company intends to form a tripartite joint venture company with SK On Co. Ltd. and Koc Holding to establish an EV battery production plant in Turkey. Located near Ankara, the joint venture plant will produce high-Nickel NMC cells from as early as mid-decade. The annual capacity of the factory is likely pegged at 30-45 GWh.

Price & Release Date

Ford also today announced that the fully electric Puma Gen-E will be revealed later this year – the first Puma to deliver zero-tailpipe emission driving.

Ford, while announcing the Puma facelift (gasoline) model on February 7, 2024

When Ford announced the Puma Gen-E in March 2022, it said that customers will be able to buy it in 2024. The company will likely launch the upcoming small EV in Germany and other main European markets in Q4 2024 (October-December 2024). The Puma Gen-E will be available in markets outside Europe, although the U.S. won’t be among those countries.

On April 18, 2023, NZ Autocar reported that the Puma Gen-E has been confirmed for New Zealand. The same day, CarExpert released a report saying Ford plans to offer it in Australia as well. Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford of Australia and New Zealand, has said that the Puma Gen-E will be among the five electrified vehicles the company plans to bring Down Under by 2024.

We’re expecting Ford to price the Puma Gen-E between EUR 35,000-40,000.

TopElectricSUV says

The Puma will become Ford’s new entry-level offering in Europe as the Fiesta and EcoSport are both discontinued. Here, the Puma will become the only Ford model in the region’s B-segment. However, the confirmation of its electric variant provides assurance that it has a future and quite a solid one, in fact, in the Blue Oval line-up.

The Puma EV should be a small electric SUV suitable for urban customers (private and business) with low running costs. While it may not be the glitziest launch of 2024, it could be one of the most efficient electric SUVs in its segment, and a release of significance as personal mobility in Europe transitions to EVs. 

Ford Puma Gen-E FAQs

Featured image: TopElectricSUV’s illustration of the Ford Puma Gen-E.

I got my Master’s in Business Management & Administration and have been an International Automotive News Editor since 2014. I’ve traveled to global motor shows and automotive events, driven various types of vehicles, and focused on hybrid and electric cars in the last 4 years.