Ford’s new $41,000 Explorer SUV is gas-only – as the seventh generation of America’s best-selling SUV ditches the hybrid variant and steers well clear of a fully electric version

Ford introduced the seventh generation of the Explorer on Thursday, which will no longer be available as a hybrid due to poor demand.

While some automakers are racing to electrify their lineups, Ford has taken the opposite path its best-selling SUV by offering the car alone a 2.3 liter or 3.0 liter gas engine.

Ford blamed poor sales of the hybrid variant, which was first offered when the sixth generation was introduced in 2020.

That year, less than 5 percent of buyers opted for the hybrid version, according to Automotive News.

The new seventh-generation model will start at $41,220, which is almost $4,400 more than the current model, and $8,000 more than the redesigned 2020 model.

The new Explorer will be available in four trims: Active, ST, ST-Line and Platinum and will be available in the spring

Ford CEO Jim Farley poses next to a 2021 Ford F-150 at the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan

The new Explorer features an updated front fascia with a larger grille, a 13-inch touchscreen and a revamped interior – upgrades that the automaker hopes can revive sales and increase interest in its best-selling SUV.

Sales of the sixth-generation Explorer have been steadily declining since its introduction in 2020.

Last year, the company sold about 187,000 – that was the second time since deliveries fell below 200,000 in 2019.

A spokesperson told DailyMail.com that the Ford Police Interceptor Utility – the version of the Explorer used by police forces across the country – will still be available with a hybrid powertrain.

“Hybrid is still available for Police Interceptor Utility as that is where there is the greatest demand from our customers,” they said.

The hybrid is especially desirable for law enforcement because it allows officers to run onboard equipment using the lithium-ion battery even when the engine is off. This can save costs, because the engine does not have to be idling.

Since introducing the Explorer in 1991, Ford has sold more than 8 million units, making it one of the best-selling SUVs in North America.

“Families have chosen the Ford Explorer for nearly 35 years,” said Andrew Frick, president of Ford Blue.

Hybrid powertrains would still be available in the Ford Police Interceptor Utility, a Ford spokesperson has confirmed

The 2020 Ford Explorer was the first model of the sixth generation. The starting price was $8,000 less than the new seventh-generation SUV

“We’ve refined nearly every part of the new Explorer – with an emphasis on a redesigned interior, additional technology like BlueCruise hands-free highway driving and special editions like the 400-horsepower Explorer ST,” Frick added.

Select versions of the new Explorer are equipped with BlueCruise, Ford’s hands-free feature that allows drivers to change lanes using just the turn signal.

Although buyers get a three-month trial period when they purchase the car, it will cost them $800 per year after that. Alternatively, customers can purchase a three-year subscription for $2,100 at the time of sale.

The new Explorer will be available in four trims: Active, ST, ST-Line and Platinum and will be available in the spring.