Ford Australia confirm new Puma electric small SUV

Electric cars are expensive but more and more affordable options are heading our way, including a fresh model from one of the world’s biggest brands.

Australia will soon have another budget priced EV.

Ford has confirmed the Puma electric SUV will be sold in Australia by the end of next year, 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 has confirmed its Puma small SUV is going electric. (petrol version shown)

“When it comes to our story on electrification, another entry we’ll be adding … is Puma,” says Andrew Birkic, Ford Australia president and CEO. “We are making some decisions about our line-up and we believe that is the right investment for us.”

Ford is not talking pricing or exact arrival times yet, other than to say the Puma EV will be here by the end of 2024.

It will go on sale in Australia late next year. (petrol version shown)

The petrol powered Puma sells from about $35,000 to $41,000 drive-away and it’s safe to assume the EV version will have a price premium.

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 $50,000.

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 Australia.

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 electric Puma is likely to be Ford’s cheapest EV.

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.

Already Ford Australia has announced its intentions to discontinue the Escape SUV that plays in one of the county’s biggest segments.

Originally published as Ford Australia confirm new Puma electric small SUV