Electric Ford Puma could become the UK’s best-selling EV

The Ford Puma is the company’s best-selling model in the UK, but with the 2030 ban on the sale of pure-petrol cars looming, you may be questioning what the future might hold for Ford’s popular small SUV.

Well, wonder no more as Ford has confirmed that a fully-electric Puma EV will make its public debut next year, as a rival to the likes of the Peugeot e-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Smart #1.

Despite running on electricity rather than petrol, the plug-in Puma will sit on the same B2E underpinnings as the existing car. This platform is also used by the new Ford E-Tourneo Courier MPV, giving us an idea of what may power the upcoming electric Puma.

Under the metal, the E-Tourneo Courier gets a 134bhp electric motor to propel the front wheels and while battery sizes are yet to be confirmed, Ford says it’ll be able to charge at speeds of up to 100kW – a 10-80% charge will take “under 35 minutes”.

The aforementioned Vauxhall Mokka Electric and Peugeot e-2008 have both recently undergone updates to include a larger battery that’ll provide a range of over 250 miles. To remain competitive, the Puma EV will need to match this figure, although we don’t expect it to top the larger Kia Niro EV’s maximum claimed range of 285 miles.

Pictured: Ford E-Tourneo Courier interior

From the outside, there’ll likely be very little to distinguish the electric Puma from the petrol model. Teaser images have revealed an EV-specific LED headlight signature, while we suspect the Puma’s front grille will also be blanked off in order to improve air flow. Of course, it goes without saying that the Puma EV will be without an exhaust pipe at the rear.

It’s possible the zero-emissions Puma could arrive alongside a mid-life update for the small SUV, which has been on sale since 2019. This would most likely introduce Ford’s latest SYNC 4 infotainment system, featuring a larger central touchscreen – as seen on the E-Tourneo Courier. More driver assistance tech could make the Puma EV competitive with the likes of the Ora Funky Cat, too.

The electric Puma will be built alongside Ford’s plug-in van lineup at its factory in Romania. Due to make its debut in 2024, the Puma EV will come as part of Ford’s new ‘Model e’ initiative and will join the Mustang Mach-E and upcoming Ford Explorer in the brand’s growing EV lineup.

Ford isn’t close to confirming exact pricing at this stage, but it’s worth noting that the electric Puma’s main rivals all start from around £36,000. We expect the Puma to match this figure, with top models potentially touching the £40k mark.