Ford Ranger plug-in hybrid coming 2024

September 2, 2022: Plug-in hybrid power coming to Ranger in 2024

Ford will add a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger to the Aussie line-up in 2024.

We’ve known for a while that a hybrid version of the popular dual-cab is coming and camouflaged test mules with hybrid powertrains have been snapped by spy photographers in Europe.

But what we didn’t know was what kind of hybrid system the Ranger would use: a traditional battery-electric ‘series hybrid’, or a plug-in set-up with a larger battery and longer pure electric driving range.

It’s the latter that’s shaping up as the most likely with Ford insiders hinting a plug-in offers better efficiency and greater usability for dual-cab buyers. A plug-in’s larger battery can be used to power tools and other accessories, for example.

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Wheels understands the plug-in Ranger will be the fifth model in Ford Australia’s promise to offer five electrified cars by the end of 2024. The other four will be the Mustang Mach E and three already confirmed variants: the Escape PHEV and two versions of the E-Transit van. 

It’s also possible a plug-in powertrain will join the new-generation Everest line-up given it shares the same T6 underpinnings as the new Ranger, although Ford Australia’s boss Andrew Birkic wouldn’t be drawn on the topic when asked at the Everest’s Australian launch.

“What we’ve said publicly is we’re future-proofed for a form of electrification so that’s the only statement we’ve made,” said Birkic.

Ford’s competitors are also working on hybrid versions of dual-cab utes. Nissan is developing a plug-in version of the Navara, for example, but Birkic remained diplomatic when asked if Ford wants to be a leader in electrified dual-cabs in Australia.

“Certainly we’re going to see evolution and Ford continues to invest in electrification globally, he said. “Our compass needs to be about the customer. Particularly with pick-ups and trucks. There’s towing and carrying, so development needs to be built around customers and their usage patterns. It has to be customer led.”

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The story to here

November 25, 2021: Ranger could get hybrid tech

The 2022 Ford Ranger will see hybrid technology added in the future.

At the reveal overnight, Ford employees confirmed the new Ranger had been developed with the ability to adopt hybrid powertrains in the future – with expectations the electrified ute will be part of the local line-up by 2025.

At this stage, rumours and leaks suggest the Ranger will either get a traditional battery-electric hybrid engine or a plug-in hybrid powertrain – the latter typically providing a pure-electric driving range of up to 50 kilometres, give or take.

A hybrid Ranger is the missing piece in the Blue Oval’s push for electrification across its pick-ups, with both the smaller Maverick and larger F-150 being offered with hybrid power in North America.

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While both the Maverick and F-150 use traditional hybrid engines, in June Ford Europe’s head of commercial vehicles Hans Schep told Automotive News Europe the brand will launch a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Ranger before 2025 – but declined to elaborate further when questioned.

If the model did go down the PHEV route, the larger electric motor and battery could be paired with a version of the 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine, already announced for the Ranger and expected for the North American market. Rumours suggest the Ford Bronco could also use this PHEV powertrain, with the Bronco sharing the same basic chassis architecture as the Ranger.

The Ford Ranger Hybrid is expected to be unveiled in 2024, but it will be worth watching to see which engine the Bronco Hybrid gets in the interim.