Ford Explorer and Capri look more tempting thanks to new EV grant discount
Both the Ford Capri and the boxier Explorer now benefit from a £1,500 discount courtesy of the Electric Car Grant
The Ford Explorer and its sleeker sibling the Ford Capri have now got slightly cheaper as both electric SUVs now qualify for the Government’s Electric Car Grant.
Unlike the smaller Ford Puma Gen-E which gets the full £3,750 Band 1 discount from the Government, the Explorer and Capri only qualify for the base Band 2 level of funding. The Puma is deemed more environmentally-friendly than its bigger brothers thanks in large part to its electric motor being built here in the UK.
Nevertheless, this still brings the base price of the Ford Explorer down to £33,685, with the more style-focused Ford Capri costing £1,800 more at £35,485. Buyers of the Explorer can benefit from the electric car grant regardless of whether they specify the car in Style, Select or Premium trims, although the latter can only be had with the 187bhp, 60kWh rear-wheel drive powertrain. This is supposedly capable of 275 miles on a single charge and keeps the highly-equipped Premium model below the £42,000 maximum list price for the EV grant.
The Style and Select trims, on the other hand, can be ordered with the more powerful RWD Extended Range set-up and still get the grant. This outputs a heftier 282bhp and, on the WLTP combined test cycle, is said to be enough for up to 374 miles on a single charge.
Those wanting the sloping roofline of the Capri as well as the £1,500 discount don’t get such a wide choice. Only the base powertrain in either Style or Premium spec is available with the grant.
All of this brings the two Ford electric SUVs more closely in-line with rivals; the Volkswagen ID.4, on which the Explorer and Capri are based, also gets the £1,500 Band 2 grant and starts from £35,495. All three are still undercut by the likes of the Renault Scenic, though, which, thanks to the higher £3,750 grant, starts from £33,245, despite offering a 381-mile range.
If you’re hoping to save even more on an electric SUV, the Auto Express Buy A Car service has great deals for both cash and lease customers, as well as those looking to buy second-hand.
