Ford has confirmed the Puma electric SUV will be sold in New Zealand, adding to the expanding EV portfolio for the Blue Oval brand and providing city SUV buyers with a vehicle likely to play in the affordable end of the electric market.
The all-electric version of the city sized five-seat SUV will be the fourth battery electric vehicle to be offered by Ford locally; others include the E-Transit, E-Transit Custom and upcoming Mustang Mach-E.
Ford is not talking pricing or exact arrival times yet, but Ford Australia has revealed it will be there by the end of 2024. The mild-hybrid petrol-powered Puma sells from $36,990 to $39,990 plus ORCs, but it's safe to assume the EV version will have a price premium.
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Given its size and city-focused nature it will likely compete with the BYD Atto 3, GWM Ora and upcoming Fiat 500e and MG4. Each hovers around $55,000 to $60,000. Whatever the price, it’s a safe bet the Puma EV will become the smallest and most affordable of the electric vehicles Ford is readying for New Zealand.
While Ford hasn’t revealed details of the new Puma EV globally, it’s expected to use an adaptation of the architecture that underpins the petrol-powered models rather than use a bespoke EV architecture.
There’s also a chance Ford could phase out petrol versions of the Puma sooner rather than later.
The European-focused SUV is set to switch to electricity only by the end of the decade as part of a transition to EVs by Ford of Europe.
Earlier this year Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company was “not going to be playing in the two-row commodity crossover market because … it didn’t really work out for us”.
Instead, the company is increasing its focus on commercial vehicles, larger vehicles and EVs.
