My journey with Ford began in the back seat of a Mondeo as a kid and has evolved as an adult through Fiestas, Focuses, Pumas, and now, the electric Ford Explorer. I was gutted to sell my bright green Fiesta ST. But with a baby on the way it was time to do something that I had thought I would never do. Buy an SUV. The Explorer had already caught my eye and I tried to find out as much information about it before it was launched.

“I was gutted to sell my bright green Fiesta ST. But with a baby on the way it was time to do something that I had thought I would never do. Buy an SUV.”

Nick O'Connor, Ford Explorer driver

I even started the Ford Explorer EV Europe Facebook page to share anything I could find with others and maybe be a place people could share any leaked photos. We never found any of those though. It's been great how popular it's become and in a relatively short period of time we've grown to more than 8,000 members, all sharing valuable information on the car and interesting things we've found out about them.

I guess getting as much information as possible is part of my personality. In my day job as a data analyst I’m always trawling through data to find the smallest thing. Probably sounds boring to most people, but I really enjoy it… maybe I’m a natural geek. When I was looking for my next car I even put all the dimensions of the previous cars I’d owned and the ones I was looking at into a spreadsheet. Just finding out things like the Explorer only being a little taller than my old Focus was surprising. The design of the Explorer makes it look much bigger, but it was things like that which helped convince me.

Another thing I didn’t foresee after finally buying an Explorer last summer was how seamlessly it would integrate into our family's daily routine. I knew it would be practical, but the 130 km daily commute from the countryside of County Meath to Dublin airport is handled effortlessly. The drive is smooth, quiet, and efficient. Even with a demanding schedule I never get range anxiety as things like the onboard tech that gives real-time updates on my battery's range really help.

And it still handles well, which was one of the things that always stood out for me with my previous Fords, so that has been a revelation as such, although probably not a big surprise. It has become my mobile office and a sanctuary of peace before the daily hustle of work and parenting.

The true test came with a 1,000 km round trip to the south of Ireland for a friend's wedding. We did think about taking my wife’s Puma, but I thought we should try it in the Explorer. A lot of people think that with electric vehicles you’re going to run out of charge on a long journey and end up getting towed the rest of the way. I’d read enough to know it should be fine with a bit of planning, even with Ireland’s limited charging infrastructure.

The other thing to consider was the fact we were travelling with a baby, which demands meticulous planning and packing. While the Puma could have coped, the Ford Explorer's boot space proved exceptional. It easily accommodated the buggy, changing bags, backpacks, and a significant amount of baby gear, with ample room to spare.

The huge centre console proved useful too, normally I put my laptop in there and can even run a charging lead into it, but it was a safe place to put my wife’s handbag while we were out of the car. I’ve tried some of the Mega Console 3D printing templates for accessories like drinks holders too. Now I’m actually trying to design my own, specifically to hold those taller cans with smaller circumferences.

“We only made two stops for the entire journey from County Meath to the south west of County Cork”

Nick O'Connor, Ford Explorer driver

Charging the Explorer on our long journey south was surprisingly efficient too. Leaving the house fully charged, we only made two stops for the entire journey from County Meath to the south west of County Cork and a place called Castlefreke. They were about the only times our son woke up the entire round-trip; he seems very happy to sleep in the back of the Explorer.

We also drove around for a few days while we were down there, including a visit to my hometown of Fermoy. That was my son’s first visit to where I grew up which was a special moment. He may not remember it, but it certainly felt like one of those significant life landmarks for me.

The first charge had been a brief coffee and stretch break on the way down, not strictly necessary for range. The second, a 30-minute charge a couple of days later, perfectly coincided with lunch, allowing us to get back on the road to home refreshed with range to spare.

Any slight doubts I may have had about driving an electric vehicle on a long journey have been completely vanquished. In fact, the Explorer didn't just transport us; it enhanced the entire travel experience. It’s proven itself far more than a commuter car and is now our family’s ultimate road trip companion. Hopefully the memorable wedding weekend will be one of many stories we create together with our Explorer.

Nick O'Connor is a Ford Explorer driver and admin for an online Explorer enthusiast group