The Ford electric revolution is just starting to gain momentum, and while the F-150 Lightning is a great starting point, the company still has a lot more models to electrify. At some point, we expect that the Ford Ranger will become electric, but before that happens, a plug-in hybrid was supposedly coming. We reported on this back in February thanks to confirmation from Ford of Australia, and Ford Europe's head, Hans Schep, has reiterated that the electrified Ranger is definitely in the cards. Speaking with Automotive News, he says that this new variant can be expected sometime before 2025, mirroring the earlier comments made by his Australian colleagues.
According to the report, Schep hasn't actually confirmed that the electrified Ranger will be a plug-in hybrid and may actually become fully electric instead. The reason cited for this is that plug-ins are not quite as eco-friendly as they were once thought to be, and with European legislation around emissions constantly tightening, a BEV would make more sense than developing a hybrid that would potentially need to be replaced by a fully electric powertrain in the near future.
Whatever does happen, the next Ranger should be better than ever, and with it being developed alongside Volkswagen's Amarok, there's a good chance that production costs will be lower too, potentially meaning a relatively small price increase for the next-generation Ranger.
The new Ford Ranger is also promised to be more than just a mirror image of the Amarok, but recent spy shots have shown that Ford is being very secretive about the styling of the new pickup, totally covering its various prototype test mules in camouflage. We'll have to wait for more leaks or releases before we can confirm performance figures, but if the hybrid Ranger does happen, the rumor mill suggests that the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-pot will be paired with an electric motor, producing a total of 362 horsepower and 501 lb-ft of torque. Of course, if we get an all-electric powertrain, it's likely that those figures will be a little higher. We'll keep you updated as we learn more.