The enduring Ford T6 platform that underpins the all-new Ranger pickup and Bronco SUV will live on into the next decade, even as a new electric Ranger - riding on a bespoke platform - is introduced in the years ahead.

The T6 platform was introduced for the Ranger way back in 2011, long before the truck made its way to the USA. That's over a decade, a long time in automotive terms. Still, a product roadmap from AutoForecast Solutions that was referenced by Ford Authority shows that the T6 platform will survive well into the 2030s when it will also underpin the third generation of the midsize pickup (the Ranger was also sold as a compact pickup in North America previously).

Clearly, Ford sees no reason to replace a platform that still works well in this application.

Based on the product roadmap, the new, second-generation Ranger midsize pickup will enter production in Michigan in May 2023 and continue to be built there until July 2029. After that, a new generation of the Ranger will go into production in August 2029 on the same T6 platform.

The next-generation Bronco will also continue utilizing the T6 platform and will go into production just a few months after the third-gen Ranger. The Bronco and Ranger EVs will be produced separately, each riding on the Blue Oval's new TE1 platform specifically for electric vehicles.

These models will be manufactured at the Blue Oval City facility in Tennessee.

As old as the T6 platform may be, it continued to endow the outgoing Ranger with a competitive combination of rugged capability and reasonable comfort in its segment, especially alongside the rough but tough-as-nails Toyota Tacoma. And in this segment, we've often seen automakers extend the life of models and their platforms beyond industry norms.

The previous Nissan Frontier, which overstayed its visit by more than a few years, was one such example until it was replaced in 2021. The new third-generation Chevrolet Colorado uses a revised version of its predecessor's platform. In other segments, the Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 are examples of sedans riding on platforms that are well over a decade old.

By the time the next Ranger goes out of production in 2037, the T6 platform will have been around in one market or another for over 25 years.