This week on EV Rider, after four years and 67,000 trouble-free miles, I’m saying goodbye to my Ford Mustang Mach-E, as I welcome a new to-me EV to my home stable.

Post your ChargerDaytona or Mustang Mach-E questions or comments here

Before I talk about my just acquired used 2024 Dodge Charger Scat Pack EV, here’s a quick summary about my Mach-E.

The Mustang Mach-E has been a wonderful car. Since I just recently did a 60,000 miles review, I won’t bore you by repeating what’s in that video, but here it is for anyone that would like to watch it:

The Mach-E’s short story is that in its final 7,000 miles with me, including a seven-state road trip, everything went just as smoothly as always.

As I end my ownership experience with the Mach-E, I can heartily recommend it to anyone considering a new or used EV.

Next, let’s look at what I replaced it with.

Dodge’s Charger Daytona is one of the most controversial EVs on the road today. A good number of V8 HEMI fans are furious that the fastest 0-60 mph Dodge currently has in production is now an EV, and not many EV fans are likely to consider a two-door muscle car that by EV standards, is fairly inefficient.

Plus, early Charger EV owners have a reported a variety of issues, a good many of which required the cars to be towed. Add it all together and these cars have lost up to 50% or more of their value in under two years.

Since I absolutely love the style, comfort, handling and performance of the Charger, I decided to take a chance, given the price plummet.

For you Charger owners out there, my CarFax report shows the flashes have been performed on the car, so I’m hopeful that many of the software glitches and 12v accessory battery issues that plagued early owners might be in this car’s rear view mirror.

One nice, early surprise, the Charger is showing a 3.6 mile per kWh average since I reset the trip odometer after taking ownership.

It’s too soon to know, but when driving the Daytona in Eco mode it’s looking like it will probably match or maybe even exceed my Mach-E’s range, which if that proves to be accurate, would be a wonderful surprise.

I’m still in the honeymoon phase and learning, so I won’t begin to try to evaluate the Daytona yet.

But here’s what I will say early on, the Charger has the two-door personal luxury coupe presence I love, which is a rare find among new cars, whether gas or EV. And it’s making a strong first impression.

For you Charger owners, I’d invite you to watch the video I did on a fellow owner’s Scat Pack a few months ago and be sure to subscribe since I’ll be doing follow-ups on my Charger as I get to know it better.

More Dodge Charger Daytona Coverage

Long-Term Owner Review: Charger Daytona Scat Pack

Drop Top Customs Developing Dodge Charger EV Convertible

Production Dodge Charger EV Unveiled With Full Specs

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV Convertible Announced

4 EV Coupe Concepts; 2 Headed For Production

EV Muscle: Dodge Unveils ’24 Charger Daytona

More Ford Mustang Mach-E Coverage

How To: LED Car Interior Lighting Accessories

EV Vs. Gas Mustangs: Fuel Cost Difference Is Striking

60,000 Miles Later: 2022 Mustang Mach-E Review

Should Ford Build This Mustang Mach-E Convertible?

Ford Shows Off Tri-Motor Mustang Mach-E For NASCAR

Mustang Mach-E EV Sells Better Than Gas Mustang

The post EV Swap: Mustang Mach-E To Charger Daytona appeared first on EV Rider.

I could make jokes about all the soccer Dads and career Moms who drive a Ford Explorer – I literally drove past dozens as I tested this one.

But in my city, and many counties around, a version of the Explorer called the Ford Police Interceptor Utility is the go-to for those in uniform, mostly in Carbonized Gray. Ours have reflective logos that sort of blend in during the daytime, so with the slimline LED light bar and no cargo rails (standard on police Explorers), they are quite invisible – they are quite invisible –civilian‑looking to other drivers. And my Explorer Tremor’s Vapor Blue Metallic – kind of metallic gray – almost looks like my local Sheriff’s Office’s.

The first Explorer in 1991 looked like what it was – a rear-wheel/four-wheel-drive SUV atop a Ranger pickup. But as of 2011’s fifth-gen, it shifted to a front-wheel/all-wheel-drive platform with turbocharged fours and sixes. Then came the fully revamped sixth-gen atop a new rear-wheel-drive based platform in 2020 – our 2026 Explorer is a 2025 refresh of that model. And one look tells you it’s an Explorer, from its sweptback, almost Range Rover silhouette that’s an evolution of its recent generations. And there’s lots out there – the Explorer has always been a top selling SUV – almost 187,000 in 2023; just over 194,000 in 2024; and almost 223,000 in 2025.

The new grille gets wider, a copper bar accent across the Tremor model’s black honeycomb mesh between LED headlights with strip DRLs. Fog lights live in deep sculpted side vents, while the lower center intake gets copper-colored tow hooks and a silver skid plate. The flanks don’t change from 2020 – gently flared fenders framed in black over gloss black alloy wheels, one spoke done in – yes, copper – wearing off-road oriented 18-inch Bridgestone Dueller A/T rubber.

The familiar rising accent line across the doors is there over prominent black sill accents. Slim roof racks are black. In back, large taillights now get a gloss black bar connecting them over a black bumper with silver skid plate-like accents, a hint of copper in there.

And gaze underneath – there’s a real skid plate behind that bumper, in case you run over a sunken palm tree. And off-road lights flank the Ford emblem – really bright LEDs – but they can only be activated with high beams on, and only after diving two steps into a screen menu.

The 2025 refresh of the Explorer eliminated a lot of physical controls inside, and expanded its digital content. And with our Tremor model, there’s some subtle upscaling going on as well.

Under the padded black dashtop lives a total redesign of what faces the driver and passenger. It does away with the original 2020 model’s multiple buttons. There’s a fine mesh black cloth, then silver trim over textured gray facing the dashboard, with copper thread underneath. Perforated aluminum Bang & Olufsen speaker grills accent doors over more stitched armrests.

Dash center is a wider touchscreen that handles almost every infotainment function you wish, albeit some a menu tap or two down. Only a volume knob remains under that screen and next to some basic safety system buttons over a very handy mini-shelf. That said, our Tremor did not have what I’d expect right on that shelf – inductive phone chargers.

The copper-stitched leather steering wheel rim is thick and grippable, small plastic paddle shifters in back, familiar Ford audio and digital gauge screen controls in front. And that gauge package can go from simple – digital speed – to navigation map, or gauges with info displays that include climb and lean angle, since Tremor models aim for some off-roading.

The plush leather and suede seats get heat, cooling and massage, plus more copper stitching and “TREMOR” embroidered in the seat uppers. They were comfortable and supportive on trips on and off-road. There’s good storage room at the head of the wide center console, trimmed in leatherette with copper stitching, with a rotary gear selector and cup holders, with more space under the – you guessed it – copper stitch-accented center armrest.

Captain’s chairs in the second row have great head and leg room, living under a fixed-glass moonroof with retractable cover, also with “TREMOR” embroidering, plus heat. There’s rear climate control, and USB/12-volt power ports. And there’s room in between to access a usable if low rear 2-person bench seat. The second and third rows fold flat to really expand space – and the last row power drops or lifts. The power tailgate climbs high to clear my head, as well.

2026 Ford Explorer Tremor 4WD Has 5,000 Pounds Of Towing Muscle

The Tremor, and the Police Interceptor can have one of two engines – a 3.3-liter hybrid with 318 hp, or a 3-liter EcoBoost V-6 with 400 hp. I got lucky – my Tremor has that twin-turbo V-6. And while most civilian Ford Explorers play family SUV and never play with in the rough, I opted to run the Tremor up and down a muddy, pot-holed mud path next to a salt marsh, usually home to folks in 4×4’s going fishing.

The Explorer Tremor gets an off-road suspension with an extra inch of ground clearance over family Explorers – 8.6 inches of it. There’s more steel underbody skid plates, revised bumpers with better approach and departure angles, and those knobbier tires to help. Along with the 400-hp V-6, we had a 10-speed automatic transmission, limited-slip rear differential for improved traction, plus a dedicated off-road drive mode with selectable Rock Crawl, Mud/Ruts, Tow/Haul, and Slippery condition selections.

2026 Ford Explorer Tremor 4WD Handles Light Off Roading Well

We activated off-road mode, which backs off throttle input to help limit wheelspin, and move out. The mud road heads downhill through deep puddles pocked with coral-based rocks. Our 4,457-lb. SUV’s multi-link suspension with off road-spec dampers just absorbed those splashing dips without any head toss or harshness. And the tires grabbed and pulled us through the slimy route with no issues. In off-road mode, the main screen shows what’s right in front of that new grille, with tire tracks to show where you are headed – and there’s a 360-degree overhead image of what’s around, plus a big screen image of that tree in back as you reverse. FYI – rubber floor mats kept the muddy footprints contained.

The 40-foot turning radius make it somewhat easier to turn around at the end of the trail – didn’t hurt that the Tremor’s rear axle gets brake-based torque vectoring that locks its inside rear wheel during slow off-road maneuvering. That can cut the turning radius by up to 25%.

Call the Tremor a pretty legit off-roader for the basic stuff like a dirt trail, forest road or rainy beach – no mountain roads to test in Florida, though.

Back on the asphalt again and set in rear-wheel-drive, we checked how the Tremor handles commuting and shopping duties.

In Eco mode – you have to select it each time you fire this Explorer up, since it reverts to Normal mode – the 7,000-mile-old SUV moves out well, rearing up a bit as it gains turbo boost to hit 60 mph in a 5.3 seconds with a subtle exhaust growl. Tap in Sport mode, and as the steering loads up with a bit more feel, the Explorer seems to pull out of the hole quicker en route to 60 mph in a quick 4.8 seconds, its exhaust a bit meatier. Paddle shifters respond well, a l’il throttle blip on downshifts.

With the V-6, it can tow up to 5,000 pounds of trailer. Auto-engine shutoff was transparent when it refired – no lurch. And driven mostly in Eco mode, we averaged up to 25 mpg.

Our test of a 2020 Explorer SVT with twin-turbo, DOHC 3-liter V-6 giving 400-hp (w/premium) and 415 lb.-ft. of torque took 6.5 seconds to hit 60 mph in Sport mode. Observed mileage was 20 mpg.

The chassis is designed with rear-wheel-biased all-wheel-drive unless you select Sport or an off-road mode, with MacPherson strut in front, and multi-link rear. Yet even with it being a bit taller in the saddle, and with more offroad-specific rubber, the Explorer Tremor had a taut yet nicely supple ride that handled bumps quickly, good buffering at compression on all but the sharpest potholes, and a fairly quiet ride at speed.

Set in Sport, power steering stiffens up with a nice direct feel, if a bit artificial. The Tremor also invokes all-wheel-drive in Sport mode, adjusting power distribution to the wheels as needed. So it stayed neutral with a little body roll around corners, powering nicely out. Power harder in a turn and we got a bit of understeer, but the handling remained predictable. And in steady-state cornering, understeer was more evident, but it did not plow off course. The brake pedal on our test vehicle had a nice bite early, good control and decent stopping power.

We had BlueCruise autonomous driving, which maintained speed, distance and the lane (with a bit of hunting) just fine on interstates and many state highways. I still don’t like auto-lane change – it activates if someone ahead is slower than preset speed – and it takes a steering jerk to shut it off.

The base rear-wheel-drive Explorer Active 100A with turbocharged 4-cylinder engine starts at $38,465; our four-wheel-drive Tremor 4WD started at $48,465 with a $11,850 Ultimate package with fixed moonroof, ambient accent lighting, B&O Sound System and a few more goodies, plus $495 Vapor Blue paint, $455 entry keypad and some other items for a final price of $64,495.

Bottom line: Seriously powerful with solid handling on-road; capable on moderate off-roading, and real roomy in its nicely lux interior – looks cool too.

2026 Ford Explorer Tremor Specifications

Vehicle type – 5-door, 3-row/six-passenger all-wheel-drive off-roadable SUV

Base price – $48,465 ($64,495 as tested)

Engine type – aluminum block 24-valve, dual-turbocharged DOHC V-6

Displacement – 3-liter

Horsepower (net) – 400

Torque (lb-ft) – 415

Transmission – 10-speed automatic w/paddle shifters

Wheelbase – 119.1 inches

Overall length – 198.8 199.3 inches

Overall width – 89.3 inches w/mirrors

Height – 69.6 70.2 inches

Front headroom – 40.7 inches

Front legroom – 43 inches

Middle headroom – 40.5 inches

Middle legroom – 39 inches

Rear headroom – 38.9 inches

Rear legroom – 32.2 inches

Cargo capacity – 18.2 cu. ft./47.9 w/3rd row folded/87.8 with 2nd and 3rd row folded

Towing capacity – up to 5,600 lbs.

Curb weight – 4,631 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 20.2 gallons

Mileage rating – 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway

The post 2026 Ford Explorer Tremor 4WD Is Powerful appeared first on EV Rider.

This week on EV Rider, let’s take a look at the cost of performance. I’ve put more than 63,000 miles on my 2022 Mustang Mach-E so far.

As I get ready for my next multistate road trip, that got me wondering how much I would spend to go the same distance in either a gas Mustang with the 2.3 liter EcoBoost turbo 4 or 5 liter V8.

Using Gemini, it’s pretty easy to figure out. I had Gemini assume I charge 70 percent at home and 30 percent using commercial AC and DC chargers, which is my best guess of my actual use case.

To keep the comparison a bit more relevant to readers and viewers I used national averages for gas and electricity as opposed to my home city of Jacksonville, where electricity is running below the national average.

So with the disclaimers out of the way, here are the actual numbers.

My Mustang Mach-E has an estimated fuel cost of $4,706, based on prices gathered on April 30.

For the 2.3L EcoBoost Mustang the cost jumps to $8,694 and for you V8 fans, the cost rises to $14,525.

My assumptions used the following EPA averages: the Mach-E getting 3.3 miles kWh, the turbo Mustang getting 25 MPG and the V8 getting 18 MPG.

Since 91 octane fuel is usually recommended for peak performance, that’s the price I used for the gas versions, although there will be Mustang owners that correctly point out their cars can run on regular. However, by the time I published this story on May 6, the price of regular had risen to $4.48 per gallon, which is higher than premium cost when I originally price checked fuel prices on April 30.

Of course all Mustangs are performance cars, so next let’s look at Ford’s estimated 0-60 mph times for the 2026 editions of Ford’s three ponys.

My Premium AWD extended range Mach-E is roughly the equivalent of a fully optioned EcoBoost gas Mustang. The EV powertrain is only available in the 4-door while the gas powertrains is are available in the coupe and convertible.

Of the three powertrains, the EcoBoost is the slowest car, getting to 60 in a Ford estimated 4.5 seconds. The V8 Mustang GT comes in at 4.2 seconds while the 2026 mid-trim Mach-E Premium AWD also does it in 4.2 seconds.

If you were step up to the top trim Mustang Mach-E GT with the performance unlock, the 0-60 mph time drops to a Ford estimated 3.3 seconds.

So what’s the lesson? It’s pretty simple. When it comes to everyday performance and fuel economy, EVs are going to win almost every time.

More Mustang Mach-E Coverage (story continues below)

EV Swap: Mustang Mach-E To Charger Daytona

How To: LED Car Interior Lighting Accessories

60,000 Miles Later: 2022 Mustang Mach-E Review

Should Ford Build This Mustang Mach-E Convertible?

Ford Shows Off Tri-Motor Mustang Mach-E For NASCAR

Mustang Mach-E EV Sells Better Than Gas Mustang

At Deeper Look At The Stats In This Post

Gemini, which is a Google-owned AI model, was used to come up with the estimates used in this story, using U.S. average electric and gasoline fuel prices compiled on April 30, 2026. Disclaimer: Fuel prices constantly fluxuate.

The Variables: Assumes 63,000 miles of travel for each vehicle, using EPA fuel economy estimates

• U.S. Average Premium Gas on 4/20/26: $4.15 per gallon.
• EV Charging Mix: 70% Home ($0.17 kWh), 15% L2 ($0.30 kWh), 15% L3 ($0.55 kWh). U.S. average prices on 4/20/26.

The post EV Vs. Gas Mustangs: Fuel Cost Difference Is Striking appeared first on EV Rider.

Ford loves horses.

I mean, there’s the Mustang, then the Pinto, and the iconic Bronco.

Well, the Mustang is still around 60 years later, and so is a renewed Bronco – a direct competitor of the Jeep Wrangler.

Then there’s Bronco Lite – actually the shrink-wrapped retro-compact version Bronco Sport, based on the front-wheel-drive Ford C2 platform that underpins the Ford Escape crossover, former Focus hatchback and Maverick pickup.

So how does the Dearborn automaker top that? It designs a very off-road-oriented Bronco Sport, with some bucking Bronco logos on it so you know it’s bad*** – actually, Badlands.

And y’know – it’s actually pretty good off-road, for being an eco-sedan under its Big Bronco looks.

Bronco Sport Heritage And Styling

In 2023, Ford took the brawny Bronco’s classic 1960s-inspired design and boiled it down atop a compact platform – a Mini-Me that is just over 20 inches longer than the first 2-door Bronco of 1966. And it looks a bit like the big Bronco – a retro grille with the BRONCO name slicing across its middle, flowing into LED light bars that bisect ringed headlights at the outer edges. A slim intake lives above the bumper – corner LED fog lights on lower outer edges. Then things get a bit off-road, as its middle gets a skid plate that flows down under, with a beefy bumper bar. There’s minimal front overhang, a good thing if you want to go off road.

That off-road vibe continues with knobby 17-inch Goodyear Territory rubber on 6-spoke black alloy wheels, neatly framed in black fender flares hatched off chunky bumper corners. Peek between treads and flares, and there’s obvious off-road suspension-nudged room between fender lip and rubber.

And where fender vents go on lesser Bronco Sports, we get flip-up integrated tie-down hooks, good for 150 pounds each – “Great for tying down that kayak on the roof,” said one onlooker. Below them, Badlands fender emblems, looking a bit like magnetic signs.

The roofline steps up a bit over the back seats for headroom, gloss black with chunky cargo bars – black pillars as well. The flat hood is the only aluminum body part on this Bronco, with twin power bumps. The short rear overhang has a beefier bumper with flip-up tow hooks, another skid plate wrapping under, plus BRONCO lettering on a hatchback with separate-opening window with wiper.

It all makes for a taller stance atop some legit off-road rubber with lots of black sandwiching a serious metallic red. This l’il guy has some swagger and a stance that says it can go off-road, unlike some other soft-roading CUVs. And it lured in some big Bronco owners, who related how they saw a row of these Badlands models going down a very steep hill on a Moab desert tour – score one for the baby Bronco.

Bronco Sport’s Interior Is Practical With New 13.2-Inch Display For 2025

EV Rider’s Bronco Sport gets a neat 2-tone interior that’s pretty much like the first version seen in mid-2023, with two differences – a wider center screen – and lots of bucking broncos.

The cloth and pleather bucket seats get contrasting yellow accents and stitching, embossed broncos inboard over flexible slots so back-seaters can slide a cellphone safely away. There’s basic power adjustments and heat, the driver’s seat getting three memory presets. The seats were comfy but a bit flat, lacking in side support but OK for trips. You can remote start via the key fob, which also remote drops side windows on hot days – that black roof does warm things up under Florida’s sun. Door panels are gray, silver and black with stitch-accented armrests. Rubber floor mats add a sense of off-road readiness.

The textured soft-touch dashtop’s hard plastic binnacle frames a 12.3-inch digital display with 140-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach – and a configurable center that can show roll and tilt, audio, navigation information, driving data, even outside camera images, under a strip of engine (turbo boost/battery/fuel) gauges in Sport mode. Its leather-clad steering wheel has manual tilt and telescoping adjustments, tiny plastic paddle shifters, the usual audio/phone/gauge display buttons – and a bronco emblem dead center.

New for ‘25 is the 13.2-inch central display, accessing navigation with traffic info, apps, even a nose camera in off-road modes, or off-road front/rear drive split or the like. Even nicer is a 360-degree screen that shows you what’s all around the Bronco Sport while driving.

Video: Bronco New Energy EV Details Emerge

The audio system sounds good, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as Wi-Fi, and an upgraded SYNC 4 system with voice command. But there’s no HD Radio so you’ll miss out on some HD-only over-the-air channels. Most of what you need – heat the seats or steering wheel, adjust climate control, or split the screen into map, audio and other functions – are handled by icons on the screen’s lower border. But I’d love physical fan speed and temperature control buttons. The sliding touchscreen icons are tough to use in motion. Below the air vents, there are start/stop and volume controls, with basic physical buttons for a/c and exterior cameras. Overhead, a row of switches that can be used to wire in extra fog lights or off-road goodies for activation.

The center console has the rotary gearshift elector, as well as the G.O.A.T (Goes Over Any Terrain) Modes to alter engine, transmission, traction control and differentials for how you drive. Eco and Normal are for daily commutes with best and decent mileage; Sport for a more dynamic feel, and the others for off-road or nasty weather stuff (more later). There’s a rear differential and four-wheel-drive lock and trail control. There’s also an auto-off engine, and auto-hold brake selector. You can tap buttons to engage 4-wheel-drive, disable traction control, or one-pedal-driving. Back off the gas and the brakes apply, a much easier way to crawl off-road. A neat inductive phone charger hides forward, and a small but usable storage area lives under the low center armrest.

The back doors are narrow, but access a bench seat with decent knee room (two inches less than brother Escape) – head room is nice due to the roof lift. You get rear vents, plus USB and 120-volt outlet, while feet rest on more rubber mats with a white bronco emblem over the transmission hump. Front seatbacks get zippered pouches and elastic straps, with air vents and USB plugs, and a fold-down center armrest.

The rear seatbacks split 60/40, and fold to expand the 29.1-cu.-ft. rear cargo area to just over 60 cubic feet. Floor and seatbacks are clad in textured plastic. There’s a hinged, dual-level cargo cover with flip-down legs that perch it on the rear bumper to become a work table. You also have a 12- and 115-volt outlet here.

Bronco Sport comes in five trim levels: Big Bend, Outer Banks, Heritage, Free Wheeling and our top-line Badlands. There’s a 1.5-liter EcoBoost turbo three-cylinder with 180-hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. Badlands get a 2-liter EcoBoost turbo-four with 250 hp and 280 lb-ft. And despite having a turbo, it’s still rated for regular 87 octane gas. All get eight-speed automatics and all-wheel drive, plus seven drive modes: Normal, ECO and Sport for the road, Slippery (rain or snow), and Off-Road, Rally and Rock Crawl. Those off-road modes also all adjust throttle response, transmission shift points, steering feel, and braking calibration

Let’s saddle up this baby Bronco.

First, Eco drive mode – the 2,300-mile-old Bronco Sport launched moderately, then gained some steam. The all-wheel-drive is definitely front-wheel biased with a hint of wheelspin to hit 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. The most fun was Sport, which held onto gears to get the most from the engine, plus quicker upshifts and a guttural, fun exhaust note. It hit 60 mph in 6.3 seconds with a quicker launch. The paddles were fine for clean downshifts, but I let it mostly shift itself. We managed an indicated 23 mpg in a mix of Eco and Sport. For comparison, the 2023.5 Heritage model I tested with the same 250-hp engine hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, and 6.8 in Sport, and an averaged 22 mpg.

More Ford Coverage

EV Swap: Mustang Mach-E To Charger Daytona

2026 Ford Explorer Tremor 4WD Is Powerful

EV Vs. Gas Mustangs: Fuel Cost Difference Is Striking

Road Test: F-150 Lightning Ups Charging Speed For 2025

Ford Crushes Nürburgring With SuperVan 4.2 EV

Ford Reveals $5B Plan For Affordable EVs

Ford EV Bronco Details Emerge

Ford F-150 Lightning Outsells Other EV Pickups

Ford’s Puma Gen-E Looks To Be Capable EV Subcompact

Mustang Mach-E EV Sells Better Than Gas Mustang

The Bronco Sport lives on a familiar crossover and sedan platform, but has hardware for off-roading. In front, independent MacPherson strut-type with coil spring, stabilizer bar, twin-tube hydraulic gas pressurized dampers, and steel subframe with aluminum lower control arm. Our Badlands Sasquatch option includes Bilstein position-sensitive dampers. In back, independent double lateral link semi-trailing arms with coil spring, stabilizer bar, monotube hydraulic gas-pressurized dampers, and isolated steel subframe. It’s got a usable 8.7-inch ride height. Its Terrain Management System’s 4×4 system has a twin-clutch rear-drive with differential lock to divert rear axle torque to either wheel side-to-side, mimicking a locking differential.

On pavement, the Bronco Sport is taut but supple enough, the ride well-damped over potholes and speed bumps with quickly-controlled rebound. It did absorb the worst, no head wagging over bumps. Get athletic and there’s some understeer, especially in Eco mode, with some body roll. But this pony tackles expressway ramps neutrally with minimal lean. There’s no apparent wander from the off-road rubber.

The steering is very direct and nicely boosted in Eco mode, with a quick, on-center feel. Its responsive in maneuvering, with serious stiffening in Sport mode. And the all-wheel disc brakes had a very nice, progressive pedal bite, with great feel and good control. Stops were well controlled from speed with no evident fade after some hard repeated hits, albeit some nose dive and ABS chatter at full halt. You do hear the knobby tread song on the highway, and a touch of wind noise at speed, but it’s not intrusive.

Given the serious rubber, suspension mods and front skidplates, we put the Broncoette to the test on a muddy, grassy field full of tire ruts – setting 4×4, rear lock and Trail Control with 1-Pedal Drive. It drove through it all without an issue. There was no tire slippage. The Sport stopped as soon as I backed off the pedal. The front camera view came on as 4×4 engaged, with the transmission staying in lower gears for low-speed torque. Deep ruts presented no issue. The steering is responsive and doesn’t kick back over bumps. The ride was also comfortable with no rattles or hard thumps over the worst. That said, 8.7 inches of ground clearance is not as good as some of the competition. I heard tall weeds sliding on skid plates under me but it did the job.

The Bronco Sport Big Bend starts at $31,695. Our Badlands 4×4 started at $40,115, with the Sasquatch option at $2,990. Other options: $495 Ruby Red Metallic paint, $995 Badlands tech package and a few others for a total $46,720.

Bottom line: Retro-cute outside with a touch of muscle; comfortable and roomy enough inside; powerful for passing and mucking about; and capable enough off road to tackle beaches, basic trails and some sandy driveways.

2025 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands 4×4 Specifications

Vehicle type – compact 5-passenger four-wheel-drive SUV
Base price – $40,115 (As tested: $46,720)
Powertrain – Turbocharged DOHC aluminum 16-valve in-line 4
Displacement – 2 liter
Horsepower (net) – 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm
Torque – 280 @ 3,000 rpm
Transmission – 8-speed automatic transmission
Wheelbase – 105 inches
Overall length – 175.1 inches
Overall width w/folded mirrors – 76.3 inches
Height – 71.5 inches
Front headroom – 39.1 inches
Front leg room – 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 41.7 inches
Rear legroom – 36.9 inches
Towing capacity – up to 2,700 lbs.
Ground clearance – 8.7 inches
Weight – 3,849 lbs.
Fuel capacity – 16 gallons
Mileage rating – 21 mpg city/26 mpg highway

The post Bronco Sport Badlands Beefs Up Off-Roading Bits appeared first on EV Rider.

You never forget your first one – EV pickup truck, that is.

When Ford introduced its 2022 Lightning, it was the only major company-made EV pickup I’d ever driven. I had to park it on my front lawn to slow-charge it overnights off my 115-volt Christmas light outlet. And I found out mine was one of just over 15,600 sold in 2022.

In a world now with a fair number of EV pickups – Tesla Cybertruck, Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Sierra EV, Hummer EV, and Rivian R1T – Ford is a sales leader with 33,000-plus sold in 2024 and another 10,829 through May of this year. That’s despite a general cooling of EV vehicle sales growth nationwide that’s seen Ford back off on plans for some future electrics, although it has announced it will be building a brand-new low cost EV pickup.

So let’s see what zappening with the fourth model year of Lightning – no thunderstorm puns, please.

Looking at our 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum edition, there’s almost no visual difference between it and the 2022 I tested with 5.5-foot-long beds. But a closer look shows one change – a gloss black grille – accenting the all-aluminum body atop steel frame.

There are stacked LED headlights, a glowing light bar flowing over and alongside them, and Ford emblem on that grille. This EV’s bumper is smoother than the gas version’s, with tow hooks framing a lower inlet to cool batteries and brakes. There’s a chest-high hood and rounded fenders with an F-150 badge atop the driver’s-side charging port hatch. Slim running boards tuck in at the sills. They deployed every time I walked by the truck with key fob in pocket.

It’s got big, power-folding side mirrors next to side windows with a dip so you can see down to the pavement. Familiar F-150 slab sides remain. Out back, big zig-zag LED taillights connected by a cross-tailgate light bar over a step bumper. The pickup’s flat-faced silver and black alloy wheels are designed to slip through the wind and are shod in street-biased 22-inch General Grabber rubber.

Taken to a classic car cruise or two during my weekend drives, it got lots of looks, especially when parked next to a classic pickup.

Platinum Level Interior Is Practical

The interior, with top-line Platinum-level options, looks like other F-150s except for a 15.5-inch central touchscreen also seen in Ford’s Mustang Mach-E EV. Running boards and grab handles on A-pillars make it easy to get into this dark gray-over-white leather interior accented with glossy veined silver woodgrain and chrome. 

Platinum trims the hard plastic dash in padded leatherette with double stitching. Those leather seats get heat, cooling and massage. They are comfortable and mostly supportive, if a bit flat. There’s a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel with audio, BlueCruise, voice command and information screen buttons.

The 12-inch digital gauge cluster offers speed and driver safety system status, plus EV stuff like range, battery charge and power use/recharge. Center stage is a configurable display with power usage vs. miles driven, as well as audio, navigation and more. When the Lightning’s semi-autonomous BlueCruise highway driving system activates, the power gauge transforms into a “Hands-Free” icon. Audio choice, outside temperature and compass information line the bottom of the driver’s guage cluster screen.

That central touchscreen eliminates most physical buttons but does have a physical volume control, which transforms into fan speed adjust at the tap of an icon. At first it feels like too many moves, but you get used to it. The huge map has a slim swipe-able menu strip to access audio, phone, miles/range and more. There are also touchscreen controls for dual-zone temperature controls, plus heated/cooled seats.

To activate the massage feature you have to tap the lumbar support on the seat bottom – that activates the massage and lumbar control icon on the center screen. You tap it on, then select the kind of massage and speed you want. A few more real buttons wouldn’t hurt.

That said, screen buttons access some main menus, like a Home Screen with buttons to access all functions including expanded range/charge, drive modes, 1-pedal driving, locking e-differential, Smart Hitch, and OnBoard Scale. You can tap on external cameras in a tight parking spot. And you can find EV charging stations nearby, although once, I got a “Chargers Unavailable” pop-up. I then tapped on the screen and dozens popped up.

There’s SYNC 4A with cloud-connected navigation and wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and SYNC AppLink. There’s Alexa, self-park, valet and driver assistance access. But somewhat hidden left of the steering wheel is a  control panel for power-opening frunk and tailgate, and power-adjust pedals.

The center console is a Swiss Army knife of usefulness with an inductive phone charger and two USB plugs, plus a chunky gearshift that drops into the center console so the center armrest can unfold into a desk for laptop work when parked. See the video at the top of this post for a demo. There’s power (12- and 120-volt) plugs nearby, plus an upper and lower glovebox.

F-150 Lightning Can Power Remote Worksites

There’s all the room you’d expect in the back bench seat, a long moonroof extending over those passengers, with a power rear window. That bench easily handles three adults’ leg and head room, with heat for those seated outboard, plus a/c vents and more USB ports. There’s storage bins under the flip-up 60/40 split seat bottoms.

In back, the 5.5-foot bed is easily accessible via power tailgate. It’s got a fold-out step, handle and tie-down hooks, able to store up to 2,000 pounds of cargo – about 1,000 less than the gas version. There’s three outlets with up to 7.2 kilowatts to power tools, or to use Lightning to power your home for up to three days – with an optional Vehicle to Home (V2H) accessory kit.

With no gas engine up front, the power hood reveals a usable 14.1-cu. ft. frunk that handles 400 pounds of payload. There’s four electrical outlets and two USB chargers, plus a drainable under-floor compartment for ice and drinks. I got tired of folks asking where my engine was – which brings us to the important part – what moves you, and it.

Our Lightning Platinum has inboard fixed magnet AC motors on each axle – with a 131 kWh extended-range battery and a total of 580-hp, plus a whopping 775 lb.-ft. of torque. The Lightning’s four-wheel-drive allocates power to the end that needs it. The 2025 Lightning now charges at a maximum of 500 amps, a boost from the previous 450 amps, which is good for a peak charging speed of roughly 190 kW.

Ford says our Platinum’s extended-range battery has up to 300 miles range, and a 8,600-pound towing limit. Starting out with a 90% battery charge, and an indicated 257 miles of range, we drove in Normal mode with max regenerative braking engaged — effectively 1-pedal driving that goes to maximum regen the second you back off throttle.

Related: More F-150 Lightning Coverage

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Showdown: Ford F-150 Lightning Vs. Rivian R1T

Will Wave Of New Tow-Worthy EV Pickups Need To Unhitch To Charge?

When we recharged 130.5-miles later, we tallied that we’d done at just over six miles better than the estimated miles-left display. The max regen brake setting on our 2,300-mile-old test truck seemed to help, adding a bit back on the “miles-remaining” display in Normal mode, or least holding off the drop. And the truck talks back – we got “100 percent energy return” on the display many times, showing that 1-pedal driving was putting power back into the battery.

Ford says Level two charging — 240 volts — means a full charge from nothing takes 13 hours, and we saw an indicated 320 miles range after one overnight topping off. A Level three charger – 480 volts – will take 38 minutes to go from 10% to 80% in ideal conditions, Ford says. But the slower DC charger we used when we plugged in took 41 minutes to get from 47% to 90%. That took us from 133 miles to 264 miles range, and cost $29. Good news – we had the adapter to use a Tesla Supercharger that massively expands the number of locations across America to get DC fast charges.

Lightning Performance Excels

Now the fun part – whether in Normal or Sport drive mode, our truck belied its 6,000-plus pound weight with instant torque the millisecond you tap the pedal. Throttle tip-in is sometimes abrupt, but passengers were amazed at even part-throttle acceleration.

Launched in Normal mode, our EV truck hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Choose Sport – Off Road and Tow/Haul drive modes also available – and we had a bit of front wheelspin, the nose lifting a bit as it hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds – in a 3-ton pickup! Outside of some EV powertrain sound that you can engage – a gentle-but-cool growling under acceleration – all we heard was a hint of tire and wind noise. Despite that urge, our Lightning was well-mannered as it launched, with passing power whenever needed, acceleration nudging you into your seat.

Let’s compare that to the test I did last year in a now-defunct website in a 2024 Lightning – 4.2 seconds to 60 mph in Normal mode, and 3.8 seconds in Sport, with a bit more front wheelspin, quickly controlled. But just so you know, Sport mode fun saw us lose three miles of indicated range after three quick launches in a ½-mile test route. And the more weight you tow/haul, the less your range will be, say pundits.

F-150 Lightning Handles Well Despite Weight

The Lightning weighs just over 6,100 lbs. vs. a gas-powered SuperCrew’s 5,540, despite an aluminum-intensive body thanks to those heavy batteries. It rides on an independent double-wishbone front suspension, with independent semi-trailing arms in back and heavy-duty gas pressurized twin-tube shocks all-round. The resulting ride was much nicer than most unladen trucks, almost plush, easily handling holes and speed bumps with a slight-but-controlled after-bounce.

The low center of gravity and all-wheel-drive helped in handling, as the front and rear motors allocated drive as needed in curves. We had understeer, but not much body roll if we pushed it in corners. Power steering had a firm, somewhat artificial feel in Sport mode – a bit lighter in boost in Normal. In fact, between the EV motor thrum, seamlessly smooth passing power, tighter steering feel and composed handling, Sport mode was the one to drive in – acceleration, passing, steering feel all very nice. And while the regen brakes had a bit of an initial grab, as do some, the 1-pedal throttle was what I loved to use – I could gauge where it would come to a full stop most of the time. When we did use the left pedal, it had a solid bite high on the pedal and gave us decent stops with some nose dive from 60 mph, and no fade after repeated use.

For off-road, there’s 8.4 inches of ground clearance as well as metal skid plates and waterproof shielding on the batteries. We only played in a sandy, grassy lot and found good traction, plus a comfortable ride with no harshness through dips.
For safety, it has lane-departure with very insistent lane-keep assist — I turned it off. Adaptive cruise control has full stop-and-go ability. And Blue Cruise’s autonomous magic – only on interstates and some state highways – stays in lane and away from others, other than a bit of wander sometimes. Sensors make sure you keep eyes open or it will ping repeatedly with a stern display, then tap brakes to wake you up. At odd moments on interstates, it just turned off, then back on. I liked auto-lane change — tap the stalk and it neatly does it.

A base 2025 Lightning Pro starts at $54,780 – our Platinum Extended Range was $84,995 with lots standard except for: $495 for Rapid red paint, $400 running boards, $600, $595 bed spray and $175 spare, for a final $87,260 minus delivery.

Bottom line: This a real truck that offers reasonable range on a full charge -although less than an ICE F-150 with a full tank. The Lightning is VERY quick, well-mannered and sure-footed. It even makes a nice sound on throttle.

2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Specifications

Vehicle type – full-size 4-door, 5-passenger four-wheel-drive full electric pickup
Base price – $84,995 ($90,780 as tested)
Engine type – 131 kWh battery pack and dual AC motors
Horsepower (net) – 580 hp total
Torque – 775 lb-ft. total
Wheelbase – 145.5 inches
Overall length – 232.7 inches
Overall width – 96 inches w/mirrors
Height – 78.3 inches
Ground clearance: 8.4 inches
Front headroom – 40.8 inches
Front leg room – 43.9 inches
Rear headroom – 40.4 inches
Rear legroom – 43.6 inches
Frunk volume – 14.1 cu.ft.
Cargo bed – 5.5-foot-long/ 52.8 cu. ft. volume
Payload/towing – 2,000 lbs./up to 8,600 pounds
Weight – 6,100 lbs.

The post Road Test: F-150 Lightning Ups Charging Speed For 2025 appeared first on EV Rider.

This isn’t your father’s Ford Transit but it just might be a sign of what the future holds.

Imagine a van that’s faster on a racetrack than most of the world’s best sports cars or even IndyCars. Ford is proving it’s possible, thanks to electrification.

In its latest racing smackdown Ford has taken a one-off, specially built Ford Transit EV van to the famed Nürburgring in Germany where it hit an astonishing top speed of about 162 miles per hour. According to Ford’s speedometer, the top speed was 262 kilometers per hour. You can see it hit that speed in the video at the top of this post.

But this Transit isn’t anything like the EV workhorses you can actually buy. The Transit SuperVan 4.2 has a whopping 2,000 horsepower.

The bespoke one-off van made it around the track in a crazy-fast 6-minutes, 48-seconds, or 6:48.393, to be precise.

To put that into perspective, that’s faster than sports cars like the Corvette ZR1X, Porsche 911 GT3 RS or even Ford’s own Mustang GTD.

Ford CEO Jim Farley is a big racing fan and Ford’s SuperVan history goes all the way back to 1971.

Video History Piece: Ford’s SuperVan From 1971 To Today

The SuperVan 4.2 is just one example of how Ford is taking performance to new levels with EV powertrains. Ford has also built a Mustang Mach-E tri-motor NASCAR prototype.

So why do an electric super van?

Ford says its electric vehicle demonstrator program has become an integral part of its broader racing portfolio, which in turn motivates its engineers, designers and aerodynamicists to dream big.

There’s no word from Ford on whether any of the styling or engineering from the SuperVan 4.2 will make it into the next-generation Transit EV, but we can always hope.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story listed an incorrect top speed.

The post Ford Crushes Nürburgring With SuperVan 4.2 EV appeared first on EV Rider.

Ford is making waves as it unveils its blueprint for the future of automotive production and that future is most definitely focused on EVs.

Ford is making a $5 billion bet on a new EV platform and manufacturing process that it says will greatly simplify the automotive manufacturing process, making its next-generation of EVs among the most affordable built anywhere in the world.

Called the Ford Universal EV Platform, it’s all going to start with a new mid-size pickup built in Louisville, Kentucky that will reach customers in 2027. Ford CEO Jim Farley says his skunkworks team has thrown out the old rule book.

“We saw this coming for years. We know that the Chinese would be the major player for us globally. Companies like BYD, new startups from around the world. Big technology has their ambition in the auto space,” Farley said Monday, August 11 at Ford’s Louisville plant.

Farley stresses this is a bet that comes with risk. “We’re doing so many new things that I can’t tell you with 100% certainty that this will all go just right. It is a bet. There is risk. The automotive industry has a graveyard littered with affordable vehicles that were launched in our country with all good intentions and they fizzled out with idle plants, laid off workers and red ink and at Ford we set out three years ago to break that cycle.”

The engineering and manufacturing of Ford’s next generation EVs is going to be radically different than how it currently builds EVs with a 20% parts reduction and 40% fewer workstations in the plant, coupled with a 15% increase in production line speed.

“I wanted to figure out how we could combine the innovation of the startups like Tesla and Rivian with the industrial might and storied 122-year history of Ford,“ said Ford’s Chief EV, Digital and Design Officer Doug Field, adding, “One of our mantras was simple. The best part is no part.”

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Field says if you compare the upcoming 2027 pickup to a traditional pickup, the new one will have just one quarter of the parts. “In the electrical system, compared to typical gen-1 electric SUVs, the team removed 4,000 feet of wiring. Over three-quarters of a mile of wiring is gone.”

Field says Ford is confident this is the first time any automaker has done this to such a large extent.

“Now you might be wondering why we decided that our universal vehicle should be an EV. It enabled a lot of the revolution that you’re going to see in the assembly, but we also believe EVs are the best product by far,” said Fields.

Ford didn’t unveil any upcoming models but confirmed the first one will be a mid-size 4-door EV pickup with a starting price of $30,000.

For more on this story, be sure to watch the video at the top of this post, which includes soundbites from Farley and Field along with Akshaya Srinivasan, with Ford’s Electric Vehicle Range and Performance.

You can also see these two videos from Ford for additional information:

The post Ford Reveals $5B Plan For Affordable EVs appeared first on EV Rider.

Ford has an ever expanding EV portfolio but if you live in the United States you probably wouldn’t know it since the Detroit-based automaker isn’t currently selling any EVs here outside of the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lightning and E-Transit.

The most recent EV to emerge is what Ford calls its Bronco New Energy. Just a handful of photos have been released so far but it’s wider than the U.S. market Bronco and bigger than the U.S. Bronco sport.

It’s scheduled to be built in China by Ford partner Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC).

The Chinese Bronco sounds like it is going to be a very capable EV with a 105.4 kWh battery pack. Like the smaller gas Bronco Sport available in the U.S., the Bronco New Energy is a unibody vehicle.

The all-electric version is rated at 271 horsepower and has an estimated 404 miles of range on China’s CLTC testing cycle, according to Autoblog.com. That would likely translate to about 340 or so miles of EPA estimated range.

The extended range EV version, which adds has a 1.5-liter gas generator engine and 43.7-kWh pack, is rated for 241 hp and an estimated 137 miles of electric range, again using China’s CLTC testing cycle.

Ford hasn’t posted any news releases or videos as best I can determine but instead the information originally surfaced on Chinese media, which cited information coming from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) filings.

Given the Trump Administration’s tariff war with China it seems unlikely we’ll see the Bronco New Energy make it to the states.

Ford Authority, which cited the MIIT filings, confirmed Jiangling Motors Corporation would be building the Bronco New Energy.

Previously EV Rider has reported on three other EVs and a plug-in hybriid from Ford not available in the states.

The Explorer EV is sold in Europe as is the Capri EV, along with the Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid.

EV Rider has also covered Ford’s Puma Gen-E subcompact hatchback, which is yet another capable looking EV that’s not available in the states. Here’s a look at those four vehicles:

Puma Gen-E

Capri EV, Explorer EV, Ranger Plug-in Hybrid

The post Ford EV Bronco Details Emerge appeared first on EV Rider.

Elon Musk decided to go big to try to win the EV pickup war with his Cybertruck, but it turns out the sales leader in gas pickups has extended that same lead in the EV space.

Ford’s F-150 Lightning is the all-time best-selling EV pickup. But more importantly, despite a slew of recent competitors from Chevy, GMC and Tesla, the Lightning remains number one in 2025 sales.

So far this year Ford has sold 10,829 Lightnings with Tesla coming in at a very close second, selling 10,087 Cybertrucks.

That’s according to Motor Intelligence, which has released January through May 2025 sales data, which was reported by CleanTechnica.com.

While the overall 2025 Cyberturck/Lightning sales race was neck-and-neck through May, some analysts believe interest in the Cybertruck is waning, despite it being a newer design than the Lightning. Cybertruck sales dropped by 32.5% between January and Feburary, according to InsideEVs, which cited data provided by Cox Automotive.

The automaker that should be the most worried about the January through May numbers is Rivian.

Its R1T had just 2,682 sales, which puts it in fifth place, behind Ford, Tesla, Chevy’s Silverado EV and GMC’s Hummer EV pickup.

Given General Motor’s EV pickups are finally moving beyond their initial production constraints and have significantly more range than the Ford, Tesla and Rivian pickups; GM’s pickups appear to be the ones to watch.

While all the pickups are capable hauling machines, when it comes to range, GMC’s top trim Sierra exceeds its non-GM competition with up to 478 miles per charge for the 2026 model year. Rivian’s R1T comes in second with 420 miles, compared to 350 miles for the Cybertruck and 320 miles for the Lightning.

Many of the base models come with smaller batteries.

While range is just one metric, when it comes to pickups, it’s likely among the most important, since when towing range can plummet by half or even more.

Video Reviews: EV Pickups

While this post and video just looked at sales numbers, EV Rider has covered a variety of EV pickups:

The post Ford F-150 Lightning Outsells Other EV Pickups appeared first on EV Rider.

This week on EV Rider we’ve got a quick look at yet another new Ford EV that is going on sale this spring in Europe but isn’t coming to the U.S.

We’ve previously told you about Ford’s EV Capri, Explorer and Plug-in Hybrid Ranger, which also aren’t available in the U.S.

The next EV hitting Ford’s European showrooms is the Puma Gen-E. It’s expected to start at roughly $40,000 U.S. dollars, based on the April 8, 2025 currency conversion rate.

The Puma Gen-E is built in Romania, which is part of the European Union. Given subcompacts don’t tend to sell well in the U.S. and with President Trump’s ongoing tariff war, it seems unlikely Ford will change its mind about importing the Puma to the states anytime soon.

The Puma is rated for 280 miles of range on the WLTP European test cycle.

What we would consider real world range here in the U.S. is likely be more along the lines of 220 miles per charge, but that’s just a rough guess since the Puma hasn’t been EPA-rated.

The interior looks fairly upscale with a 12-inch touchscreen, digital gauge cluster and B & O sound system. It’s also available with a sunroof.

DC fast charging peaks at 100kW, allowing it to go from 10 to 80% in approximately 23 minutes. The Puma’s battery has a usable capacity of 43 kWh.

Despite the sales success of the Mustang Mach-E EV, it’s clear Ford thinks America isn’t ready yet for a small hatchback EV. Hopefully that will change sometime in the not too distant future.

Ford Puma Gen-E Specifications

The post Ford’s Puma Gen-E Looks To Be Capable EV Subcompact appeared first on EV Rider.