Driving Around the World with Plugs and Giggles: The Electric Ford Explorer's Global Shenanigans
You know Ford Explorer, the one that your grandpa owned, your dad loved, and you... well, questioned? If ever there was a vehicle that looked like it wanted to escape suburbia, it was this. But, while you were imagining it escaping to the wild realms of the next city over, Ford had bigger dreams.
Electric dreams, to be exact
Ford's gone all hippie on us and slapped a battery into the Explorer. And guess what? This isn’t the mere gallivanting across American soil. This battery-wielder has its eyes set on globe-trotting. Literally.
Adventure enthusiast Lexie Alford isn't just content with lounging around, sipping Pina Coladas. She's hopping into this electrified SUV and is set to drive around the globe. Yup, six continents and more than 30 countries. If you’re sitting there thinking “Hasn’t that been done before?” - think again. This will be the first time anyone's done it in an EV. Lexie, dear readers, is not just any young traveler. She’s the record-breaker who’s been to every country. Makes my weekend drive to the local supermarket feel a bit, well, pathetic.
Ford is pulling a move straight out of the 1920s playbook when the iconic Aloha Wanderwell toured the world in, you guessed it, a Ford Model T. History does repeat itself, just this time, with fewer fumes and more... electricity? Lexie started her journey in Nice, France, a beautiful place known for... um, other than being ‘nice’, it's also where Wanderwell began her journey.
The Electric Challenge
Ford's Explorer, now sharing its lunch money with Volkswagen, is going all in with its EV ambitions. No James Bond gadgets or modifications here; it's pretty much what you'll get off the shelf. Well, if your shelf is a giant dealership.
The biggest hiccup, as any skeptic like me would ask, “Where on earth would she charge it?” EV stations aren’t exactly as common as Starbucks. Yet, Ford brags that in just 25 minutes – which is roughly the time it takes to regret that extra-large fries order – the Explorer EV would go from 10 to 80 percent charged using a DC fast charger. The big ol' car should theoretically need a power sip every 300 miles. Sounds easy-peasy, right?
But, oh, the drama it'd create if she can't find a charging station in the middle of the Sahara or the Amazon. The perils of modern-day adventure! Remember when Indiana Jones only had to worry about giant boulders?
The idea behind this? Ford's Martin Sander states it’s to prove the capabilities of EVs, especially in everyday Europe. If Lexie can globe-trot in it, you should be just fine popping over to IKEA.
However, as Lexie herself said, it’s not going to be a walk – or drive – in the park. It's both a challenge for the vehicle and the team. But hey, isn't that the very essence of an adventure?
The electric Explorer is set to hit European roads for sale next summer. For us here in the States, we still have our gasoline guzzlers. Although, there's a hybrid for those who are, let's say, electric-curious.
Who'd have thought the future would be a Ford Explorer silently zooming past, with its driver anxiously looking for charging points? While I may be a die-hard fan of the roar of an engine, I must say, driving around the world without a single drop of gas is impressive.
But remember, if Lexie can do it, so can you. Or at least, you can try driving to the store without worrying about the battery. Good luck and electric drive on!
Yours truly,
Captain Electro
