Are you the sort of person that likes to get angry on the internet about electric cars named after big cats? You’re probably going to give yourself a rage-typing-induced RSI today, because mere hours after the unveiling of the rulebook-shredding Jaguar Type 00, here’s an electric Ford Puma.
At least we’ve had a bit of warning on this one. Ford revived the Puma name back in 2019, but because it was 2019, it was on a small crossover, not the pretty, lightweight coupe that wore the badge originally. That petrol-powered Puma – reasonably nice to drive, but otherwise entirely unremarkable – is still very much on sale, and has been Britain’s best-selling car for some time.
It’s now been joined by an electric sibling, though, which Ford calls the Puma Gen-E. There’s really not that much to unpack here. The Gen-E gets two trim levels, a base version and a more kitted out Premium, but regardless of grade, you get the same powertrain. It’s a single motor, sending 166bhp and 214lb ft of torque to the front wheels. That’s good for 62mph in 8.0 seconds, and an EV-appropriate top speed of 99mph.
The battery is a 53.8kWh lump. Quoted range is 234 miles for the base car, while that drops to 226 miles on the fancier one. That’s probably down to it getting chunkier 18-inch wheels. The 10-80 per cent fast charge can be done in 23 minutes, reckons Ford.
Ford Puma Gen-E – interior
The removal of various oily bits means you can cram more stuff into the Gen-E than a petrol Puma. The ‘MegaBox’ underfloor loadspace in the boot is larger, and Ford’s seen fit to upgrade its name to ‘GigaBox’ as a result. This ups boot spade from 456 to 574 litres, and there’s a modest 43-litre ‘frunk’ where the engine used to be too.
The inside is pretty much the same, although with no gearknob or handbrake in the way, there’s space for a raised centre console with storage for extra… things. The infotainment is run off Ford’s freshly-baked Sync 4 operating system.
Ford Puma Gen-E – rear
The only real differentiator on the outside is that the ICE Puma’s slightly beaky front grille is now blanked off, a la Mustang Mach-E. There are also some new alloy designs, all in the name of sweet, sweet drag reduction.
And that is how Ford’s turned Britain’s most popular car into an EV that’ll still probably be pretty popular, especially because pricing kicks off at a reasonable £29,995. Like the petrol Puma, it’ll be put together in Romania, but the electric gubbins come from Ford’s Halewood facility near Liverpool. It’s on sale now, and if you bang in an early order, you can expect to have it in the springtime.
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