I asked Amko Leenart, director of design for Ford Europe, why Ford used VW’s pathetic controls on the Explorer and the Capri, and he told me that Ford was working with a partner to better respond. of sliders (but won’t tell me how), then admits that “we tried to improve it a little bit—and I think we did—but at the same time, it’s the same. VW is our supplier for some parts, and at the time we had to make that choice.

It’s a shame, because these decisions, made on balance sheets and in meeting rooms, kill perfectly good cars. And in the case of the Explorer it is bundled because it is a good EV, quiet on the road, and has a good range and a distinctive, winning exterior.

Courtesy of Ford

I get the project delays mean the Explorer and Capri missed their window of opportunity and that better competitor options landed at the wrong time for Ford—but by focusing on the range above all else , and by trying to cut corners on development. At the time, the gamble didn’t pay off much. And then trying to get away with charging nearly £54,000 (about $68,500) for the top-of-the-range model, things get a little more difficult.

Jim Farley is a smart guy, and I’m sure he looked at the Explorer and Capri, and then went back to his Xiaomi, and realized that there was a better way for Ford to deal with EVs than by wearing the platforms of opponents. But then there is the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate in the UK, which requires that by 2025 at least a quarter of new cars sold by UK manufacturers have no emissions. Ford needs to sell more EVs and fast. It’s a hard circle to square.

I know Ford’s focus is on hybrids right now, but looking at the successes of the F-150 Lightning and Mach-E, and all the elements the EU-only Explorer will celebrate, hopefully we’ll see a lot more full-EV action from the company in 2025. Just make it Ford-made, and accessible to everyone—then it definitely won’t go away.