RUMOR: Ford Bronco And Ranger To Go Electric Before 2030

Dec. 09, 2022 11:36 AM ET by Jarryd Neves Rumor / 2 Comments

Sources suggest it will debut in 2029, alongside a new ICE-powered Bronco.

The latest batch of rumors surrounding the Ford Bronco suggests the off-roader will be going electric earlier than expected.

Citing information from AutoForeCastSolutions, a post on the Bronco6G forum claims the battery-powered variant will arrive in November 2029. It will be introduced a month after the current iteration is phased out in October of the same year and will be joined by a second-generation ICE derivative.

While this is merely speculation for now, the database firm's product map is said to have a good track record which gives us reason to believe this could be true. Of course, it was only a matter of time before the Blue Oval introduced an electric Bronco. The automaker has had great success with the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E, so a Bronco EV is an obvious step.

The newcomer, likely to adopt the Bronco Lightning name, is rumored to have the same lifespan as the ICE variant and will be produced until 2036. The current model will soldier on for a few more years and will potentially receive a facelift in the coming years to keep it fresh.

It's very possible that the ICE-powered model will adopt a hybrid or plug-in hybrid setup in an attempt to curb emissions and improve gas mileage, but that remains to be seen. Interestingly, the report claims that the second-generation, ICE-powered Bronco will continue to be built on the T6 platform, while the all-electric variant is said to use the TE1 architecture.

We've previously speculated that the Bronco Lightning (and other electric trucks and SUVs) would be based on the TE1 platform, while our time driving the ICE Bronco tells us that the T6 platform is good enough to continue for some time to come.

As an aside, the same document claims the Ranger Lightning will also enter production in 2029, while an electric Explorer SUV will hit the scene as soon as 2024 - although earlier reports suggest a 2023 arrival.

Rival company Jeep has already revealed the Recon, an electric alternative to the Wrangler. The Stellantis-owned brand says the EV will arrive in 2024 (five years ahead of the rumored Bronco EV), giving it a headstart in the electrified off-roader race. Ford may be late to the party, but we're guessing that it wants to milk the current generation for all its worth before moving on.

If the rumors are to be believed, we can expect production of the regular Bronco to remain at the Michigan Assembly Plant, while the Bronco EV will likely be manufactured at the automaker's Blue Oval City facility in Tennessee.

Until Ford confirms this, it's merely speculation. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.