Ford Puma Gen-E: Mustang Mach-E’s Little Brother With Up To 233 Miles Of Range

The Ford Puma Gen-E is the automaker's smallest European EV. A single battery version is offered. The combined WLTP-rated range is 233 miles for the base trim level.

The well-known  Ford Mustang Mach-E electric crossover now has a little brother–in Europe, at least. Meet the new  Ford Puma Gen-E, a battery-powered subcompact crossover that’s smaller than the discontinued first-generation Chevrolet Bolt EUV but somehow has a bigger trunk than some large SUVs.

Measuring 165.9 inches long and 71 inches wide and with a wheelbase of 101.8 inches, the new Puma Gen-E is roughly 4 inches shorter than the Bolt EUV and the smallest electric vehicle in Ford’s European portfolio. The combustion-powered Puma is the automaker’s best-seller in Europe, and with the introduction of the electric version, Ford is hoping it can turn the tide that forced it to idle its flagship EV factory in Cologne due to poor demand for the Explorer EV and Capri.

Set to be built at its factory in Romania, the Ford Puma Gen-E is available with a single battery version–a 43-kilowatt-hour (usable) lithium ion pack with nickel manganese cobalt chemistry. On the four-door crossover, it can deliver a combined WLTP-rated range of up to 233 miles. The maximum DC fast charging speed is 100 kW, and it takes a little over 23 minutes to charge from 10% to 80% state of charge. Ford did not say how much power the on-board AC charger can accept or how long a top-up on a Level 2 charger would take.

Two trim levels will be on offer, but a single powertrain is available–a front-mounted single electric motor making 165 horsepower and 214 pound-feet of torque. It takes eight seconds for the Puma Gen-E to accelerate from a standstill to 62 miles per hour. That’s nearly as fast as the sporty, gas-powered Puma ST which needs 7.4 seconds to reach 62 mph.

Design-wise, the electric Puma is very similar to its dinosaur juice-powered siblings. The biggest difference is the Mustang Mach-E-like front “shield” design. Different alloy wheels and a sporty rear spoiler complete the picture.

Inside, there’s a pair of screens–a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen running Ford’s latest Sync 4 system and a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster. Both come as standard, as does the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.