Ranger

Make

Ford

Segment

Sports Car

The next-generation Ford Ranger, which made its US debut recently, is scheduled to get a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) version within the next 12 months. This information comes from a report published by Australia’s Drive, claiming that it got a hold of Ford’s “top secret” plan to make an electrified Ranger.

Drive also reported that the midsize truck’s hybrid version will arrive in Australia (and in the US, eventually) by 2024 featuring the base 2.3-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine found in the American Ranger. This will be combined with one or more electric motors. Naturally, Ford has yet to confirm the publication’s “unearthed” details.

The total power output, as well as the electric driving range, of the rumored Ranger PHEV is yet to be determined. As a benchmark, the turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four engine in the US-spec Ranger makes 270 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque.

Previously, CarBuzz reported that the electrified Ranger is expected to generate a combined power output of 362 hp and 501 lb-ft of torque. These figures are still unconfirmed at this point.

Back in April 2022, Ford’s Global Chief Engineer Ian Foston hinted that there was a possibility of offering a hybrid Ranger. He said that the Blue Oval brand would consider producing a hybrid or an electrified Ranger should the market demand it.

“With Ranger and the T6 platform, we’re looking at that and saying, at a point in time, ‘what would the customer want?’ And then we can provide that energy option to them,” Foston said.

To make things more interesting, Ford filed to trademark the Ranger Lightning name with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) last year. This suggests that Ford is indeed preparing the Ranger for the electric vehicle shift.

Ford also filed for the Maverick Lightning trademark, implying that the automaker has future electric plans for its compact pickup truck. Currently, Ford is offering a hybrid Maverick that comes with a 2.5-liter engine.