The Ford Puma Gen-E is too late to the electric car party
Despite only just arriving, deputy editor Richard Ingram thinks the Ford Puma Gen-E is already being left behind by its electric car rivals
Retro-fitting petrol cars with electric powertrains is nothing new. Stellantis – parent company of Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat and others – has done it for years, while the likes of MINI and BMW will offer you countless flavours of their wide-ranging ICE and EV line-up.
So in theory, Ford has every reason to pin its hopes on the latest Puma Gen-E, a zero- emissions take on one of our favourite small SUVs, and the UK’s best-selling car in 2024. Gone is the thrummy three-cylinder petrol engine, and in its place is a quiet, zippy electric powertrain that should play to the firm’s historical strengths in this part of the market.
Yet as with so many of Ford’s recent business decisions – goodbye Fiesta and soon farewell Focus, hello new Capri – it feels part knee-jerk and part too little, too late. Is it just another half-baked attempt to catch up with rivals who’ve covered all the powertrain bases to ride the wave of growing (if inconsistent) EV demand?
Think about it: the petrol Puma’s been on sale for six years already – so where does that leave the Gen-E? It can’t have more than two or three years to run, surely? And on paper, the electric car’s 234-mile range and 100kW peak charge speeds aren’t likely to see it keep pace with the inevitable onslaught of fresh blood due over the next 12 to 24 months.
It sounds like it drives well, at least. My colleague Alastair Crooks claims it’s “one of the more engaging small EVs you can buy” – apparently without sacrificing comfort or refinement. I won’t spoil the verdict, but it appears practical enough for small families as well. Throw in Ford’s recent ‘Power Promise’ – a free home charger and up to 10,000 miles of charging credit – and it’s making a reasonable case for itself.
But the bottom line is that Ford was late to the electric vehicle party, and it still feels like it’s only doing just about enough in Europe. We’re at a tipping point for the manufacturer; does it jack in the small-car market once and for all, and focus on vans, trucks and bigger SUVs here? Or can
it find a way to deliver fun, best-in-class small cars, packed with character, at affordable prices that still make Ford money? I know which I’d rather see…
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