Karen Horton test drove a Puma Gen-E and immediately knew it was the car for her. Little did she know her new car would also be the one millionth Puma to roll off the production line.

From The Road spoke to Karen about how she came to earn a place in the Ford history books and her experiences with her first electric car.

Tell us the story of how you came to be the one millionth Ford Puma customer?

Well, I was due to change my car after nine years and my son is a mechanic for Ford, so he suggested I try an electric Puma Gen-E. ¹

I wasn’t sure about electric cars — I’d never driven one before — but I had a test drive and was just blown away by how easy it was to drive. And because we are a Ford family really — this is our 28^th Ford and my husband drives a Mustang Dark Horse ² — I knew it would be reliable and handle well.

“My husband doesn't get a look in at the moment... we’re fighting over the keys.”

Karen Horton, Puma Gen-E owner

So it just moved quickly from there. I could have had a blue car that was available immediately, but then I saw the Electric Yellow and I love bright colours, so that’s the car I ordered.

It came as a complete surprise to be told I was buying the one millionth Puma, and before I knew it, I was on my way to the factory in Romania to see it being built.

Was that your first time in a car factory?

Yes, it was, and it was really interesting. I come from a manufacturing background, so I know about metals and soldering and welding, but to see it on a scale like that was really eye-opening.

I couldn’t believe the cleanliness of the place as well. And to see so many people working there, and that everyone I spoke with was so happy, I found that impressive.

So did you see your car being built from start to finish?

Yes, we followed it through from the bare body shell right the way through the process over two days. We saw the battery and motors being installed and the seats being put in.

Then at the end of the line we had a chance to take some photos before we went into the one millionth vehicle ceremony…

I understand you gave a speech to all the factory employees. How was that experience?

Yes, the moment my car came off the line the whole factory came to a halt and then there was a huge celebration.

I’m used to giving lectures but usually to smaller groups and classes, so I was a little nervous, but getting to see the whole plant beforehand was really helpful. It gave me plenty to talk about.

And now that you’ve been living with your Puma Gen-E for a while, how are you finding it?

I love it. Like I said, I cannot believe how easy it is to drive this car — the assistance from the parking cameras ³ if you're a little bit unsure, but also the responsiveness and the instant power.

It took me aback a little at first, but it actually feels safer because when I need the acceleration to join a roundabout for example, there’s no hesitation. That kick of electric power gives you confidence.

The big screens in the car are great. I’ve never had a massive screen like this before, and it warns me when there's a bend coming up in the road and gives me lots of prompts that are really useful when you’re driving down a dark country lane or in the rain or the fog. The car also has BlueCruise. ⁴ I haven’t tried it yet, but I’m looking forward to giving it a go.

Then there’s the GigaBox. We recently drove a long way to Somerset on holiday. We took two weeks’ luggage and got it all in the GigaBox and the boot space. ⁵ We had nothing on the back seats at all.

And the seats were so comfy on a 200-mile drive.

“That kick of electric power gives you confidence.”

Karen Horton, Puma Gen-E owner

How are you finding the switch from petrol to electric power?

Well, we had a home charger fitted by Octopus Energy and that was really straightforward, even in our older house. That came with 10,000 miles of free electricity which was a big bonus.

I was putting around £80 of petrol each month into my previous car — now I’m using about £20 of electricity. I plug it in to charge a couple of times a week and just use the app to set it to an 80 per cent charge and leave it overnight.

What’s good with the Octopus charger is that it switches on and off to use the lowest-cost electricity to get the best value.

And using the one-pedal driving ³ — which I loved as soon as I test drove the car — I can add energy back into the battery. On holiday in Somerset there is a famous steep hill called Porlock Hill. Driving up in the Puma Gen-E was no issue at all, whereas in a petrol car you are nearly stalling in some places. Then going down, I added 6 miles of driving range back into the battery.

I’m never going back to a manual gearbox.

And I hear you’ve given the car a name?

Yes. I call it Bee, because it looks like a bumblebee. My husband Mark bought me car mats with yellow stitching around the edges to match and I’ve got a little Bee keyring.

I've never loved a car before, but I actually love this car. Usually it's like: oh God, I've got to go and do the shopping, but now I'm actually champing at the bit to get in the car and drive.

My husband doesn't get a look in at the moment... we’re fighting over the keys.

Zara Blackburn is communication manager for Ford passenger vehicles in the UK and Ireland

¹ Up to 417 km driving range based on full charge of Puma Gen-E. Estimated range using Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown are for comparability purposes and should only be compared with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. Actual range varies due to factors such as temperature, driving behaviour, route profile, vehicle maintenance, lithium-ion battery age and condition.

² Mustang Dark Horse CO₂ emissions 279-282 g/km and fuel efficiency 12.2-12.4 l/100 km WLTP. CO₂ emission and fuel efficiency ranges may vary according to vehicle variants offered by individual markets. The declared WLTP fuel/energy consumptions, CO₂ emissions and electric range are determined according to the technical requirements and specifications of the European Regulations (EC) 715/2007 and (EU) 2017/1151 as last amended. The applied standard test procedures enable comparison between different vehicle types and different manufacturers.

³ Driver-assist features are supplemental to and do not replace the driver’s attention, judgement and need

⁴ Available in selected countries on selected Puma, Puma Gen-E, Kuga, Ranger PHEV and Mustang Mach-E models. Driver’s eyes must remain on the road ahead to enable use of BlueCruise hands-free driving. It does not replace safe driving.

⁵ Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and weight distribution.