Ford set the Puma Gen-E to follow the combustion-powered Puma small SUV, which it discontinued in Australia earlier this year. Its cancellation leaves the MG ZS EV, BYD Atto 3, and Volvo EX30 with one less competitor, marking a sad farewell to Ford’s European-sourced passenger cars in Australia.
It also signals a shift for Ford Australia, as it will no longer rely on electric passenger cars to help reduce the emissions from its popular Ranger ute, Everest SUV, and mostly V8-powered Mustang.
Instead, Ford will focus on electrified versions of its commercial vehicles, like the upcoming plug-in hybrid Ranger, plug-in hybrid Transit Custom, and fully electric E-Transit. This leaves the Mustang Mach-E as the company’s only electric passenger car offering.
Details about the Puma Gen-E remain scarce, revealing only its name and the fact that it was supposed to be based on the combustion-powered Puma platform. The vehicle has yet to be officially revealed globally.
The Cancellation
The cancellation of the Puma Gen-E in Australia has been an open secret for a while, with Ford removing the Gen-E landing page from its website earlier this year and dealers often hinting that the electric small SUV wouldn’t be coming.
Revealed overnight, the electric Ford Puma ditches its large honeycomb grille for a sleek, closed front with a gloss frame, similar to the design of the Mustang Mach-E. It offers up to 375km of driving range from a 43.6kWh battery, based on the WLTP standard.
The UK launch features two high-spec variants, Select and Premium, both powered by the same front-mounted electric motor delivering 123kW and 290Nm, with a 0-100km/h time of 8 seconds. It also comes with sporty steering from the ST as standard.
With a starting price in the UK equivalent to around AU$58,620, it could face stiff competition on value when a wave of new electric models enters the Australian market in 2025.
Ford’s German division recently announced plans to cut 4,000 jobs in Germany and the UK as it faces “unprecedented” competitive, regulatory, and economic challenges. The company is pushing for more flexibility in meeting CO2 compliance targets, public investments in charging infrastructure, and incentives to boost low- and zero-emissions vehicle sales.
The Market Competition
Electric vehicle sales in Europe have dropped 5.8% this year, amid a broader market decline, with markets like Germany seeing double-digit declines.
In Australia, the Ranger will remain Ford’s top seller in 2024, but new vehicle efficiency standards (NVES) limiting CO2 emissions will affect its success and profit margins next year. Ford is focusing on the plug-in hybrid Ranger and its commercial fleet, including the Transit EV and the newly announced Transit Custom PHEV. The Euro-focused Explorer EV and its Capri liftback variant, built on the Volkswagen MEB platform, won’t be coming to Australia.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E has sold 612 units this year, trailing behind the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (779 units), Kia EV6 (1599 units), and Toyota bZ4X (853 units). Next year, competition will intensify as over ten new Chinese manufacturers enter the Australian market.
Ford will face new electric SUVs from brands like Geely, Xpeng, and Leapmotor, along with commercial vehicle challengers like BYD’s Shark 6, which is impacting interest in plug-in hybrid utes. Ford will reveal more details about its strategy in this competitive landscape in early 2025.
