• 233-mile range
• Fast charging
• Efficient battery

What are the running costs?

While the Puma might use a fairly small battery, it is very efficient. Ford claims 4.5 miles per kWh and we still averaged 4.2mi/kWh during our testing without driving with efficiency in mind, albeit in a warmer climate.

It should give a real-world range of around 180-200 miles, which is good considering the size of the battery and should make it one of the least expensive electric SUVs to run, but not ideal for those doing long trips. 

Charging is competitive. At up to 100kW DC, you can go from 10-to-80% in 23 minutes, which is useful on motorway stops. A 7kW home wallbox will take around seven hours for a full charge. Against rivals, driving range is the Puma’s biggest weakness, though. The Vauxhall Mokka Electric manages 252 miles and the Kia EV3 up to 375 miles.

30

Servicing and warranty

Ford’s range of electric cars also now come with an attractive maintenance package called Ford Power Promise. The key attraction is a free home charging wallbox (or the equivalent £500 in cash for those who can’t charge at home), as well as two free services, which will cover the car for five years. Roadside and towaway cover is also included for the same duration. 

The battery is covered against degradation for eight years and 100,000 miles (as is the case on all new EVs because of governance), though the standard three-year, 60,000-mile warranty lags behind the seven years of cover you’ll get from the Kia EV3. The Peugeot e-2008 is also available with a package called Allure Care, which is where after every service at a Peugeot main dealer the warranty is extended for two years or 16,000 miles up to eight years and 100,000 miles. 

Reliability

• New model
• Simple drivetrain
• Mixed Ford record

The Puma Gen-E is too new to have a track record, but the simple single-motor setup should help reliability. Ford’s past EVs like the Mustang Mach-E have had some teething problems, so it’s worth checking for software updates.

Build quality inside doesn’t inspire total confidence, but the mechanical package looks robust. Ford’s strong dealer coverage means issues should be easy to resolve under warranty.